Samantha's X-files
by teenascully
Summary: 21 Years ago Fox Mulder was abducted by aliens now his sister works to uncover the paranormal with the X-files. Dana Scully has just been assigned to work with Spooky Sam and her life is about to change. AU Also does Sam count as an OC? Still learning how all this works so apologies for any formatting issues. M rated as it's the X-files but not explicit.
1. Pilot

21 Years ago Fox Mulder was abducted by aliens now his sister works to uncover the paranormal with the X-files. Dana Scully has just been assigned to work with Spooky Sam and her life is about to change. AU Also does Sam count as an OC?

Massive what if it's probably been done before, but I am new to this site and haven't done the legwork to find out. What if Fox was taken instead of Samantha. I really hope people like this but if they don't I can't help it. I am endeavouring to take on the entire series but I think I might miss some episodes because the aren't as important or condense them down so you'll probably need to have seen the series but if you haven't then why are you here?

I have a real life so it might not be a regular update but then who knows if anyone will read it but I am a total Mulder and Scully shipper so this is mostly for me!

* * *

Sitting surrounded by men Agent Dana Scully could tell this was not a normal job placement, she had chosen to work with the FBI because she saw it, as she told the men, as a way to distinguish herself. She had known well into her medical training that whilst she enjoyed the field of medicine there was a lot she struggled to countenance and when the FBI had contacted her about possibly becoming an agent she had felt a thrill of excitement at a new challenge. Now she was worried that these men were expecting something she wouldn't like.

"Are you aware of an Agent named Samantha Mulder?"

"By reputation only" feeling uncomfortable with the tension in the room Scully looked around at the men interviewing her. "Sir?"

"And what do you know of this reputation?"

"She graduated from Harvard a full two years younger than the rest of her class, has a degree in Criminal Psychology and another in Computer Sciences, she worked on the Albertson Shootings during which she was able to analyse the shooters behaviour uncovering a bomb on a college campus saving many lives in the process. Cited as one of the best female minds in the country and generally considered to be throwing her abilities away working here." the insult had not been intentional but had definitely hit home Dana saw them looking displeased. "She had a nickname at the academy that has followed her most of her life, Spooky Sam."

"What I'll also tell you is that Agent Mulder has developed a consuming devotion to an unassigned project outside the bureau mainstream. Are you familiar with the so-called X-Files?"

"I believe they have to do with unexplained phenomenon."

"More or less. The reason you're here, Agent Scully, is we want you to assist Mulder on these X-Files. You will write field reports on your activities, along with your observations on the validity of the work."

"Am I to understand that you want me to debunk the X-Files project, sir?"

"Agent Scully, we trust you'll make the proper scientific analysis. You'll want to contact Agent Mulder shortly. We look forward to seeing your reports"

(–)

"No body in here except the FBI's most unwanted"

It wasn't the most auspicious start as Dana pushed open the door and walked into the office "Agent Mulder?" the walls were mostly bare with a giant cork board on one side of the room filled with newspaper clippings. On the desk a large frame face the back wall and a smaller one was laid face down, the desk it self was organised to standard most people only maintain for an hour after they first start a job.

Behind the desk a pale young woman wearing thin square glasses looked up with an inquisitive look "Oh! You're not who I expected, can I help?" she had long dark curly hair pulled back into a thick ponytail, she removed her glasses so that her wide set dark eyes could take in the newcomer better. Like herself the woman wore the boxy type of suit that most women determined to be taken seriously in the man's world they were working in only Samantha Mulder's jacket was flung across a chair and her shirt sleeves were rolled up.

"My Name is Dana Scully I've been assigned to you" realisation crossed the other woman's face

"Oh Dr Scully, I **was** expecting you. Now what did you do in a past life to deserve this?"

"I beg your pardon?" Dana raised a brow as she questioned the other woman

"Well come on on you must have pissed someone off big time to be banished down here."

"Actually I'm looking forward to working with you, I've heard a lot about you"

"I was under the impression you were here to spy on me"

"If you doubt my qualifications..."

"Nope, you see I heard you were coming" the woman pushed herself up a smirk on her face "Took a little time to look you up, You're a medical doctor, you taught at the academy. You did your undergraduate degree in physics. "Einstein's Twin Paradox, A New Interpretation. Dana Scully Senior Thesis." You dared to rewrite Einstein... impressive." Dana could feel her hackles rise as she felt herself being mocked.

"Did you even read it?"

"I did, I especially liked the joke on time dilation as an excuse for being late"

"That was in the footnotes"

"I read quickly, it's how I can study 4 times the speed of everyone else." Well that certainly answered a question Dana had long had about the intelligent woman who at almost the same age as herself had achieved so much more. "Good thing you're a Doctor, I'm less Biology more technology I could use a Medical opinion on something." She switched off the lights and started up a projector "Oregon female, age twenty-one, no explainable cause of death. Autopsy shows nothing. There are, however, these two distinct marks on her lower back. Doctor Scully, can you ID these marks?"

"Needle punctures, maybe? An animal bite. Electrocution of some kind."

"How's your chemistry? This is the substance found in the surrounding tissue."

"It's organic. I don't know, is it some kind of synthetic protein?"

"Strangely no one had identified it yet." The two women met each other's gaze and Dana found herself smiling at her new co-worker "You and I are going to put the I into FBI... you know they say the best test of a relationship is to take a trip together."

"Am I to guess we're going to Oregon?"

"Now is that feminine intuition or are you reading my mind?"

"Conan Doyle would call it a deductive leap"

"Doyle? He believed in the paranormal you know" she fixed Dana with a hard look "Pop Quiz do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?"

"Logically, I would have to say no!" the other woman seemed disappointed so Scully felt a need to carry on "Given the distances needed to travel from the far reaches of space, the energy requirements..."

"That's fine, all I needed to know was yes or no, my pop quiz questions are always yes or no" Samantha picked up her jacket and handed Scully a case file "See you bright and early tomorrow, we fly to Oregon 8am!"

(–)

The Oregon case was becoming a good test for her working relationship with Scully, her pedantic and unimaginative nature was frustrating. Sam had ordered separate rooms which wasn't necessary as the two women could easily share under FBI policy but she had felt the need for space, it had been a good decision. The Doctor refused to accept anything other worldly about the body they had exhumed and her attitude at the hospital had been almost insulting. Usually a cheerful person it had annoyed Sam that there was so little they could really share, she'd hoped working with a woman would be easier than when she'd been partnered with men but Scully had refused to believe er about the lost time instead staring at her in the rain like she was an idiot, even the car suddenly restarting hadn't convinced her...

The power went out and Sam sighed she hated motels when this happened it always made her think that Norman Bates was on the prowl, she pulled out her wind up torch and soon had it lit up. She was just abut to climb into bed when there was a knock at the door.

"Scully?" The woman was wearing a robe and slippers but if Sam had to guess she's imagine there was little else under there.

"I want you to look at something."

"Sure. Come in."

Scully walked in, and immediately started to lower her robe, Sam was about to make a joke about FBI relationships within departments as Dana was clad in her underwear but as she looks at the bare back before her she sees it, two little bumps.

"What are they? Mulder?"

Leaning down Sam inspected them before concluding "Mosquito bites."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I got a lot myself out there." The relief was palpable and the two women began to laugh, reaching her arms around Dana Sam found herself realising that she had briefly been almost as worried as her partner was.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry I just..."

"You're shaking. Here" Sam indicated the bed "sit down."

"Thanks"

Later the two women were lying on the bed and having discussed a lot of nonsensical things Samantha soon found herself telling Dana everything that she normally kept under wraps.

"When I was eight my brother was taken, we were sitting on the floor playing and arguing over the TV, he wanted to watch some Magician." Samantha took a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes. "Mom and Dad were out and it was just a normal evening then suddenly there was a loud banging and it was like the whole room was shaking my head hurt and there was this pressure." Unable to help herself as the memory came back she rubbed her forehead as if feeling the pressure again "There was light everywhere so blinding. It was like I was being lifted and then Fox's arms are around me and he's pulling me down. I think they wanted me but he got in the way, I saw a thin strange figure in the doorway and then it was Fox that was being lifted. I fell to the ground screaming, just screaming and then it was over. Done. One of the neighbours heard me still screaming and found me in the middle of the floor."

Samantha looked over at her fellow agent who was staring at her in shock

"I know it all sounds unbelievable but it happened and I've spent my life trying to make sense of it."

"But your brother... doesn't he work in Violent Crimes?"

"He doesn't remember any of it. He was missing for over six months but he remembers none of it. He was found wandering through some remote area near San Bernardino. There was no evidence of assault, no ransoms were ever requested, he was just gone and then he just showed up. He didn't even remember who he was he kept saying the name Sam Mulder, they assumed it was his name. Afterwards we took a trip just the four of us to our lake house and spent the time reminding him who he was, a lot of it never came back but he remembered them trying to tell him he had no family but he could remember one thing. Me."

"And that's why he told them he was Sam Mulder?"

"I guess so but he did always hate the name Fox. He said there were men wanting to do tests on him but he kept asking them where I was, for weeks after his return he wouldn't let me out of his sight I think in the back of his mind he remembered that they were trying to take me first, that he was afraid I would be taken."

"Did he get his memory back?"

"Not really, he could still read and write at the same level, he was still obsessed with basketball and baseball he just couldn't remember anything, his friends, his school, mom and dad decided to send him to a secure boarding school and he headed to England for further education with all new people he seemed happier and no one cared that he was a year younger than them."

"Do you two ever talk about what happened?"

"No, he rather dislikes my obsession with what happened. When he joined the bureau it was around the same time as me and he begged me to stop being spooky Samantha. Luckily we are in different areas, he does the profiling so spends his time in an office making leaps and I proved myself to the bureau, made them see me as a golden girl and so when I found the X-Files it was like everything I'd done so far was working towards that place, it looked like a garbage dump for UFO sightings, alien abduction reports, the kind of stuff that most people laugh at as being ridiculous. But I was fascinated. I read all the cases I could get my hands on, hundreds of them. I read everything I could about paranormal phenomenon, about the occult and..." Should she tell her? "There's classified government information I've being trying to access, but someone has been blocking my attempts to get at it"

"Who, why?"

"Someone at a higher level, if it weren't for my success stories my connections they would have closed me down years ago. And then there's you the spy sent to shut me down."

"Mulder I will only ever report what I see and hear and discover, you need to trust me that even though I might not believe you I am not going to lie to help them close you down."

"Catholic guilt keeping you honest?"

"Something like that" there was a flash of something on Scully's face

"What?"

"I'm not sure if I can tell you"

"After my story about my brother being abducted by aliens?"

"I joined the FBI partly because I was trying to escape something." Dana sighed and rubbed her eyes "One of my professors and I got close, he was intelligent and had this air that thrilled me so much more than the men my own age."

"A professor? So people would have gossiped about how you passed?"

"I was more concerned that his wife... who I knew nothing about at first" Dana rushed to add when Samantha's eyebrows raised in surprise "I was more concerned about her. I am not a homewrecker I was starting to be an officially lapsed catholic but marriage is so important to my parents and in the church, also he had children a daughter closer to my own age than I liked."

"So you like the older men" the teasing tone reassured Dana that her co-worker was not judging her. "I'll keep you away from my dad although the divorce was a long time ago and he's still alone."

"I honestly didn't know, he didn't wear a ring when he was teaching and there's a part of me that wondered how many other women were there before me, he told me I was special to him but I didn't hear him denying that there had been other students."

"You did the right thing, I think the FBI and I are lucky to have you"

"Even if I spend my time proving you wrong?"

"Even then"

The phone rang and Sam leaned over to answer it

"Hello? What? Who is this? Who is thi..." Sam dropped the phone down and turned to Dana "That was some woman... she just said Peggy O'Dell was dead."

"The girl in the wheelchair?"

(–)

Losing the evidence and their belongings in a fire was almost worth it when it made Dana start to trust her, made her start to think there could be more to this. They travelled the town looking for answers and when the two women stood at one point in the rain and another in a hospital corridor discussing the case Scully was finally starting to agree with Mulder and her mind was starting to open up to new possibilities. Sam couldn't quite put into words how exciting it had been to see Billy Miles standing ready to be taken into a space ship and it frustrated her no end that her fellow agent had missed the big moment that could have proved Sam right but Sam could tell that the woman was becoming an ally. It felt a little like corruption and Samantha felt like laughing until she entered her office and froze, someone had been in here.

Picking up her phone she pulled up the number she had for the DA's office and started what would be the first of several phone calls. When she was finally finished she ran a hand through her hair and let it down from it's usual tidy ponytail. Frustration was mounting and she began to wish for her brother's eidetic memory as she looked over her own report trying to remember if anything had been missed.

"They chewed me out for not being able to substantiate my report" Dana announced entering the office and dumping her briefcase onto the desk.

"I warned you, writing the truth without proof makes you a goof" as Dana raised an eyebrow at the bad rhyme she shrugged "look siding with me gets you in trouble, welcome to my world!"

"I understand why they did it, had I read someone else's report and it had so little evidence I'd feel the same way."

"Yeah me too, but it's annoying isn't it, when you know it all happened and can't do anything to do with it?" Dana nodded but seemed to sense she wasn't done "there's more Scully"

"Oh Yeah?"

"I just talked to the D.A.'s office in Raymon County. There's no case file on Billy Miles. The paperwork we filed is all gone."

"Dammit" the redhead kicked the wall and then sank heavily into the chair by the filing cabinet muttering curses. Sam grinned at the reaction, it was one she had so often herself so it was nice to share it.

Dana sighed and opening up her bag pulled out her planner "Well at least I'm back to still have time for my trip." she smiled to herself Ethan was looking forward to spending time with her and she hoped she wouldn't be too distracted.

"Trip?"

"My boyfriend and I have a B&B booked, when you and I went to Oregon I was supposed to be there but he managed to get the booking moved."

"Ah, sounds nice"

"What about you, any plans?" It was difficult to talk about normal things when their work was so unusual and Sam was rather closed off.

"No, I'm recently single my ex thought I spent too much time on my work." Dana's lips twisted in an amused smile getting ready to point out that it was a distinct possibility when Sam interrupted "I know it's probably true but there were other issues as well. Our families didn't like each other or us together. Two years we were together and it's weird being single again."

"I'm sorry" Dana was about to say something else when there was a knock at the door

"Nobody in here except the FBI's most unwanted" Sam yelled and the door opened to reveal an attractive man wearing an ID badge and a rather nice suit.

"Ha ha" the man didn't seem to notice Dana as he headed straight to Sam "I actually need your opinion on something so don't be a butt head."

"Nice" Sam grinned as she leaned to look at Dana "He's usually a little more mature in public" The man had jumped when he realised they weren't alone and immediately looked a little embarrassed.

"Sorry I didn't realise you had company." the man straightened his tie and smiled a rather charming smile at her, standing Dana held out her hand. "I'm Fox Mulder"

"Dana Scully, and I could tell" she smiled looking over at Samantha "You two do look alike" she noticed that although Fox Mulder seemed unwilling to talk with her in the room he was also looking her up and down appreciatively. "I'm going to go pick up lunch, you want anything?"

"If you're going to the sandwich guy upstairs a Turkey on Rye and some chips."

"No Problem" Dana moved to leave but Fox seemed to purposefully stay a little in her way so that she had to brush against him to get by "Do you want something?" she challenged him and he smiled

"Not from the sandwich guy" he teased and she found herself rolling her eyes, behind her Sam made a disgusted noise and when she was gone she overheard the siblings arguing. No matter how spooky the Mulder's might be they were completely normal in one respect.

(–)

Samantha Mulder stretched as she walked into her apartment, it had been three months since Charlie had walked out on her and she was starting to get a little worried about the rent. When it had been two of them the costs had been easily manageable but now she was on a strict budget that she didn't like keeping to, her phone rang but she let it go to her machine not wanting to get into another apologetic drunken conversation with her ex.

Her mother's voice echoed through the apartment asking her to call her when she could, her tennis club friends had just had a dinner party and there were lots of lovely women with sons she had to meet, could she set something up?

Samantha was going to kill whoever had let it slip to her mother that she was once again single, probably Fox, Charlie had been great but her mother had never been happy with the relationship. Now it was over the woman was desperate to get her daughter matched up, she made it no secret that she wanted her out of the office and in the kitchen to become just another home maker.

Relieved she'd let the machine pick up Samantha opened her freezer and stared miserably at the frozen dinners there, whatever other troubles they'd had together with Charlie her fridge had been filled with real food. Choosing a random chicken and pasta meal she threw it into the microwave and headed for the shower. Her mind was full of questions about the case but mostly she focussed on her new partner, she was pretty but a little serious for her tastes and though she really wasn't keen to work with her preferring to be alone she couldn't help but be pleased that maybe she'd found a friend. She'd never had a lot of friends and the X-files had made her life a little lonelier as she dropped dinner's and lunches to follow leads letting friends and family down as she grew more desperate to get at the truth.

* * *

OK so Samantha Mulder looks mostly like the clone version played by Megan Leitch just in my mind her eyes are closer to Mulder's in colour and shape. In this story Fox was not missing for too long because I still ship him with Scully and that's tricky if he's dead, not impossible in X-files but definitely tricky. In the series other people did come back (like Cassandra Spender) and had a relatively normal life and I have decided that the reason Samantha was kept away from her family for so long was partly as punishment on CGB's part or possibly there was something special about her that there wasn't about Fox. It's also easier to wipe the memories of an 8 year old as they are more trusting but as an almost teenager it didn't work on Mulder and was easier to just let him go.

I will work on this very slowly as if I do try to cover the whole series it will take a long time, I will not do every episode but I'll definitely do the most relevant ones and hopefully a scene or two from each one to bridge the gaps. I doubt I'll create any new mysteries as this is going to be quite the undertaking. Hopefully I'll update every other week.


	2. Deep throat & Squeeze

Thank you to the people who reviewed, I was pleased to see someone else liked my ramblings! Also I've noticed people often put a disclaimer in, do I need to do that every chapter? Well I don't own the X-files or any of it's characters, and I make no money off this work. Is that good enough?

As I've said before I'll concentrate more on the episodes that I think are important or would have significant changes so some episodes are condensed right down. This is the case for Deep Throat as I think most of the episode would be unchanged so I've only done the conclusion of that story. If anyone thinks this loses something please let me know and I'll think about doing more.

* * *

It was a cool morning and Samantha Mulder was glad of her fleece jacket as she walked out of her building, her phone had rung not ten minutes ago and she'd known before she even answered that it was brother asking if she was awake. Neither she nor Fox had never slept well after his abduction and she often got a phone call in the small hours of the morning asking her if she was free to come for a run. This morning he had sounded especially wired and she could tell he wanted to see her as much as he wanted to run. She wondered briefly if he had heard somehow about her latest assignment with Scully where strange lights in the sky had led to her unofficial imprisonment in a location where no one would have found her. It had only been thanks to her partner's flagrant disregard for the rules that had got her safely home and the whole experience was very vague. She didn't think Dana would have told him but the FBI was a surprisingly gossipy place considering all the secrets they dealt with so he could have heard.

She was just rounding the corner to the track when she felt the hairs on the back of her necessaries and she spun around.

"Your lives, may be in danger."

"You again" she stared the man down "Our lives? Mine and Fox or mine and Scully's?"

"Possibly all three, depending of course on how much your brother knows"

"Why?"

"You've seen things that weren't to be seen. Care and discretion, are now imperative."

"I barely saw anything, nothing I can back up. I need more!"

"As I said, I can provide you with information, but only so long as it's in my best interest to do so."

"What is your interest?"

"The truth."

"I know I did see something, but it's gone. They took it away, they stole it. You have to tell me what it was I saw."

"A military UFO? Mr. Mulder, why are those like yourself, who believe in the existence of extra terrestrial life on this earth, not dissuaded by all the evidence to the contrary?"

"Because, all the evidence isn't to the contrary and there is so much evidence in support of what I believe."

"Precisely."

The man saw something over her shoulder and started away, unable to just let him go she called after him "They're here, aren't they?"

"Ms. Mulder, they've been here for a long long time."

She wanted more but the sound of loping strides sounded behind her and she turned to find her brother approaching. "Who was that?"

"Nobody, just a source" she shrugged it off and smiled up at him "Hey what's up?" he looked haggard and had obviously been suffering insomnia more than usual.

"Bad case, some bastard trading in humans has been making his mark and leaving a trail of bodies mostly young women and children, Henderson and I are at odds on how to deal with this one."

"Are you close?"

"We have a suspect we just need the proof, he's a slippery bugger." he ran a hand over his face pressing his fingers into his closed eyes in a gesture that told her of late nights reading reports and staring at photos. "I know it's him."

As she looked at him Samantha decided that she'd talk to Dana make sure certain facts pertaining to the last case don't get back to her big brother, with the type of case he's on and the wired look in his eyes she knew he wouldn't take it well. They ran in companionable silence on the track Mulder slowly lapping his sister as he burned of the nervous agitation he felt, Samantha knew that when they were done they'd find a coffee shop to sit in where they would pretend t be normal for a while drinking hot drinks and teasing each other about their lack of significant others whilst talking about what to do for their mother's birthday. It was one thing she was grateful for in her crazy world, the chance to just sit with her brother for awhile a chance she knew she was lucky to have.

(–)

The attitude of her old Quantico buddy had been a little grating for Scully when they ate together, it was often annoying to learn that people from the same class as she were making their way up the ladder quicker than herself but she was aware of the compromises that those agents were making, of the choices they made. It was something she wouldn't do, couldn't do, and the work she was doing with Sam was starting to make her feel more open to the strange and fantastic which would not help her in the future. From his attitude she knew that Colton wanted Sam on the case as well as herself, Sam had skills that others would dream of, it would help a case being able to utilise those skills despite her reputation.

"So why do you think they didn't ask me?"

"They're friends of mine from the academy, I'm sure they just felt more comfortable talking to me."

Sam's lips twisted "Why would I make them so uncomfortable?"

"I would think it probably has to do with your reputation."

"Reputation? Do I have a reputation?"

"You know you do, you revel in it" Dana sighed fed up with trying to protect her fellow agent's feelings "Mulder, look. Colton plays by the book and you don't. They feel your methods, your theories are..."

"Spooky? Pop quiz Sully, do you think I'm spooky?"

She was prevented from answering by the arrival of her colleague "Dana, sorry I'm late."

"We just got here. Samantha Mulder, this is Tom Colton." his smile turning flirtatious Tom shook Sam's hand looking at her fully as he did so and making it rather clear he liked what he saw.

"So, Agent Mulder, what do you think, does this look like the work of little green men?"

"Grey."

"Excuse me?" Dana closed her eyes hoping her friend would leave it at that, she knew Sam was a bit of a joker and she gave as good as got.

"Grey. You said green men, a Reticulan skin tone is actually grey that's why they are referred to as the Roswell Grey, they're notorious for their extraction of human livers. Due to iron depletion in the Reticulan galaxy. I personally have avoided certain foods to keep my Iron levels low as protection."

"You can't be serious." Tom looked repulsed and Dana fought the urge to smile at Sam's excellent deflection.

"Do you have any idea what liver and onions go for on Reticula?" she stared at Tom her gaze tracking his figure much as he had for her "You eat a lot of Steak don't you?"

"Tell me what you're thinking Tom" Dana broke the man from his bemused state as he stared after Mulder who was looking around the room.

(–)

Later after a meeting with Colton and his fellow agents Dana walked down the corridors feeling misplaced. Only a short time ago she would have felt completely at home in that meeting but now she was seriously thinking about Samantha's strange theories and otherworldly explanations. The closing statement of the meeting 'you're welcome to come aboard with us, on this. That is if you don't mind working in an area that's a bit more down-to-earth.' had left a bad taste in her mouth. She felt that she should have jumped to her partners defence but had found it hard to do so. She had certainly seen strange things and whilst she still felt some of Sam's theories were warranted she knew that she still hadn't seen enough to completely be able to back up the crazy things Samantha Mulder sometimes said.

Wandering a little further Scully recognised her surroundings, she was near the Violent Crimes Section and started to walk purposefully until she found the office secretaries desks.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" the young woman sitting there was a rather pretty blonde who had probably spent more time on her perfectly shaped and intricately decorated nails than on the report she was holding. Dana could make out two spelling errors from where she stood.

"I'm looking for Special Agent Fox Mulder"

"Oh Yes? Why?" the woman was almost rude with the question.

"I work with his sister, I need to talk to him about something as a fellow agent" Dana felt offended, she was an FBI agent for goodness sake and she was searching out an associate, it was not a bar where they were competing for the incredibly aptly named Fox.

"Just down the hall, second door on the left." the woman didn't seem pleased to tell her that and it irked Scully

"Thank you" as she left Scully made sure to take a step back and look at the woman with a disparaging smirk. Her sister Missy had told her before that with just a look she could make other people suddenly doubt themselves. It wasn't much of a skill but focussing on the woman's clothing she was pleased to see her icy look she had caused her opponent squirm and pull at her sleeves. It was petty and childish but the little blonde needed to learn that she was in a work environment.

Knocking at the door she was worried as the voice calling her in was unrecognisable that it might be the wrong office, when she looked in she found Fox Mulder leaning back in his chair and another man tall and rather attractive standing facing him.

"Agent Scully!" Fox stood a welcoming smile on his lips

"Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all" the other man smiled holding up his hands "Just on my way out... think about what I said Mulder"

"Thanks Ed" once the man was gone Dana came in and closed the door

"Sorry to barge in"

"Nah you were saving me."

"Do you have a minute to talk?" Scully felt shy addressing Mulder alone, she'd only met him once and that was in Samantha's company "I needed to ask you something."

"Of course sit down" he seemed to sense her discomfort and this time he made no innuendo or attempt to flirt. "What can I do for you?" They sat on either side of the desk and he watched her waiting for her to speak.

"Sam and I are working with another department, with other agents, it's clear they want her expertise as much as mine but" she stopped unsure how to continue but he had a look of understanding on his face.

"It is difficult isn't it? You know they say those things about her behind her back but when you don't hear it when you aren't there for it you can ignore it."

"It's worse, when people used to talk about Spooky Samantha and her alien obsession I'd find it funny. Now knowing her and seeing what she sees, the cases we've seen and all the unexplainable things I've witnessed its as if I'm as angry at myself as much as I am at them."

"I understand that, if she weren't my sister I might be the same."

"I guess they don't do it around you."

"No" he laughed "but I think she got used to a lot of it at school. She and I were separate a lot after I reappeared and it bothered me how alone she was, but it never bothered her."

"The things she believes in, the way she talks about it. Did you ever struggle with it?"

"Not really... see I'd always believed in weird things like magic and ghosts so why not aliens? I wasn't abducted by them but they could easily exist, when I was at school we'd write to each other and the letters were full of things we'd researched, old folk tales, weird goings on I never dreamed it would end up like this but there's nothing wrong with it."

"Do you think it bothers her? The jokes?"

"It's never bothered her when I've seen it, she has her convictions and she's sticking to them."

"That's another thing that bothers me, she doesn't seem to care that they laugh at her, she doesn't worry about her reputation at all. The case we're on is strange I don't deny but the theories she comes out with make her look ridiculous."

"What's she saying this time?"

"It's a murder case sort of a locked room scenario" Dana didn't want to go into too much detail "and she's sure our killer got in through a vent six inches by seventeen point eight inches, she then posits that the killer started in 1903. It's all too impossible to believe."

"But you're thinking about it, that it might be true." he was smiling as he spoke and she was annoyed by the look in his eyes.

"I don't know" She shook her head, she knew the fingerprint was something irrefutable but it was all too unlikely. "how could the killer have done that?"

"There are more things in heaven and earth" he quoted with a smile that reminded her of Sam's teasing look.

"Yes but a killer over ninety years old who can get through a tiny vent?"

"Sam has a way of seeing the impossible and believing it and if she does she wont pretend otherwise."

"I've never met anyone like that before and I'm not sure I can be like that I've worked damn hard to get where I am." Dana almost surprised herself with the last comment, she hadn't realised how much she worried about her career working where she was. If she was willing to join in with the jokes and dismiss San's work more she'd be set to do well in her line of work but she just couldn't do that.

"It's always been easier for us to ignore the rest of the world." Fox leaned back in his chair his next words would seem boastful to some but Dana understood why he was saying what he said "We come from a wealthy family and had the best education money can buy just handed to us. I have an eidetic memory and her IQ is off the charts we could easily get jobs in a private sector and make more money, working for the FBI is something we've chosen for our own reasons. We don't care what others think because anything we've ever tried we've succeeded in... well." he smiled

"What?"

"Ice Hockey, I never quite took to that as well as I wanted"

"Ice Hockey?"

"All the tough kids did it and I was doing well until I went slamming into a wall almost breaking my nose" he touched the feature with a wry smile " it was bruised and swollen for days, I never quite had the nose I wanted but the idea that I could make it worse scared me off the sport."

Dana found herself smiling as she looked at his nose "I like it, it gives your face character"

"Ugh" he made a disgusted sound and dropped his head on the desk "I hate those compliments that are actually insults I've heard them so many times, next you'll say I look distinguished"

"Well" she let the word hang giggling when he groaned long and loud

"Get Out" he pointed to the door not raising his head "I don't like you any more."

"OK" she stood but she had gone through the door she looked back in to find him still face down "If it helps" she added trying to suppress her grin as he looked up "I was also thinking it made you seem striking" there was another groan and she walked out feeling lighter than before.

(-)

Though she felt as if Scully's stakeout was completely pointless Sam had nothing to do that evening and sitting in her apartment alone she had been bored. Calling Fox had been out of the question as he was probably with that girl from his office that he was currently dating, what he had in common with a girl only just legal to drink she didn't know but she guessed they didn't do much talking. Instead she found herself heading down to her usual takeaway and making an order that was far more than she needed. Scully had told her where her stakeout was and as she didn't want to make her jump she walked quietly through the parking lot.

"FBI! Hands in the Air!" Even before she had turned Dana had recognised her partner "Mulder?"

"Don't shoot, I have too much to live for!" she teased her hands raised

"Mulder, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to keep you company," at Dana's look of disbelief she continued "he's not coming back here, his thrill is derived from the challenge of impossible entry. He's already beaten this place, if you'd read the X-file on the case, you'd come to the same conclusion."

"Sam, you are jeopardising my stakeout."

"I brought Chinese!" Sam held up a bag and Dana couldn't help but smile she was probably pretty hungry.

"I guess you can stay for a bit" They got back in the car and were just opening up the goodies when someone called in a check in "Position 10, I copy" was said around a mouthful of Lo-Mein.

"Damn where's my soda" Sam looked through the bag "I must have dropped it when you jumped me"

"I did not jump you!" Dana protested as Sam got out of the car again.

As Mulder headed back to where she'd run into Scully she heard a strange noise, much as Scully had earlier she crept to a nearby pillar ready to spring out on someone but could see no one. She moved towards a caged off area of the car park and then in the ventilation duct there was a movement. Turning back she yelled "Scully, call for backup and get over here!"

"In there." When Scully joined her Sam pointed at the duct "Can you see?"

The duct moved again and the two women held their guns ready "Federal Agent, I'm armed. Proceed down the vent, slowly." Scully yelled in a masterful voice.

The hatch flew off as a foot kicked it open followed by a thin sullen man, he slowly stood up and turned around holding his hands up.

Suddenly five men all wearing FBI clothing and holding guns joined them, Tom came forward "Take him."

Unable to keep the surprise out of her voice Sam turned to Scully "You were right."

(–)

Though Tooms has managed to pass the lie detector test Sam was pretty sure that Scully was completely correct that Tooms was indeed the guy they wanted. The detector test had thrown up some fun fact for her confirming her own beliefs but because Colton refused to listen another man had died and he was still at large. Thanks to Frank Briggs they had found his lair and all the trophies that Tooms had collected from his victims over the years and arranged a surveillance team. Sam was on her way to relieve them but the car was no longer there "Where on earth is everyone?" Sam questioned aloud as she looked around, dammit old stretchy might have done anything whilst there was no one watching.

Running into the building she un-holstered her gun ready in case Tooms was around, she quickly headed back to where she and Dana had investigated earlier. Once in the cellar below the apartment building she moved carefully and quietly until she arrived at his little collection, it seemed undisturbed and turning was about to leave when something glinted in the light, a small golden cross. Swearing as she recognises Scully's necklace she turns and begins to run.

(–)

Alone in her apartment Scully had tried to call her partner several times to no avail, she also tried to call Ethan only to be told he was still on an assignment. She was running a bath hoping a long soak will relax her but as she is moving around her bathroom something drops from the ceiling to the floor. Crouching down she touches it only to realise what she was staring at, glancing up she saw more on her vent and in the next moment she was rushing out of the bathroom to where she stored her gun. Terrified she picks up her weapon and holds it at face level, moving to the phone she picked it up and dialled before holding it to her ear.

It was dead

"Damn it" Scully cursed as she slowly moved through her home looking for Tooms, she was just walking through to the kitchen when a hand grabbed her ankle. Tooms face was staring through her vent and she cried out as she slipped dropping her gun. Kicking at her attacker she managed to grab hold of a door frame and pull herself away. In a moment her attacker was out of the vent and on top of her, he had great strength as he straddled her fending off every punch she threw his way.

"DANA!" the shout and crashing at her door gave her renewed hope and she screamed for help as Tooms pushed up her shirt.

"SAM!" Mulder appeared in her doorway with her gun raised "Get him" Tooms attempted an escape but between the two of them they managed to subdue him and soon had him cuffed.

"You OK?" Sam asked after she had called for back up

"Yeah, how did you know?" Scully was grateful when Sam held out the little gold necklace that she'd rescued from Toom's trophy altar "I wondered where that was."

"He had it with his other prizes, looks like he's not going to get his quota this year." they both breathed a sigh of relief neither taking their guns off the cuffed and almost feral Tooms.

(-)

"No, no... No!" Sam watched Scully as she paced talking into her phone, whatever was happening with the other person it was not a particularly civil conversation and Scully was slowly getting more and more frustrated. Finally when the red head had rung off with an angry "Just do what you want!" she stopped pretending she hadn't heard her.

"Everything OK?"

"Ethan and I are fighting a lot right now"

"I'm sorry" the two women didn't talk a lot about their personal lives but Sam felt the need to know more, Scully needed support right now. "It''s not because of the work here is it?"

"It's not helping but if I'm honest I don't think we were going to work out anyway."

"He's a reporter isn't he? It must be hard to keep everything separate."

"That's just it, we manage that fine but our work is such a huge part of our lives that we have so much we can't talk about. Also... Last night he ditched me for a story but instead of telling me I just ended up alone in a restaurant for an hour. How hard is it to call a restaurant and get a message to someone?"

"That sucks" Sam knew that seeing Tooms in his cell the other day as he slowly built himself another nest had freaked her colleague out a little. Scully had probably worried a lot when her boyfriend didn't show for dinner and then to realise it was just thoughtlessness on his part Sam knew if it happened to her annoyed wouldn't cover it.

"I know, but I always call if we have to change plans but he doesn't, he just forgets to show up and then brings some cheap gas station flowers to say sorry when he finally shows up."

"I hate that. It actually feels more insulting than if they brought nothing."

"Exactly and then he suggests we go out tonight and I told him you and I have that early meeting tomorrow. And if he doesn't show I have to go spend another hour by myself being pitied by wait staff when something comes up."

"I'm sure he wouldn't do that again."

"It's not the first time" Dana sat down heavily "I'm fine but I must admit this thing with Tooms had me a bit shaken up and I could have done with a nice meal with Ethan to talk about it. Instead I sat alone for an hour with a glass of wine." the fact that she had waited for an hour seemed to be the thing that angered Scully the most.

"Well you could do that" Sam offered "Or... I have wine at my place and though there's no food we could get pizza on the way."

"Wine and Pizza?" Scully smiled "that actually sounds perfect."

* * *

The interaction between Fox and Dana will build up over time but I want Sam and Dana's relationship to be more fixed before that happens too much, Fox will become more involved with the cases as time goes on but he occasionally has to be on the sidelines. Please let me know if you think the episodes need more outside detail, I am mostly restricting it to the regular actors on the show but if you think scenes where they aren't involved should appear tell me I am counting on you all having seen the show.


	3. Conduit & Jersey Devil

I do not own The x-files or make any money from this writing.

* * *

Leaning on the edge of Sam's desk Dana crossed her arms. Once again Sam seemed to be living up to the strange and spooky Agent her reputation foretold. "I'm very sorry this Ruby girl is missing but she's not a child and this just doesn't seem substantial enough to warrant an investigation." She looked over the magazine she'd been given upstairs, it was clear just from the front cover why their bosses didn't think this was appropriate literature to base their work on "This paper isn't exactly cutting edge reporting." She was being polite, the idea of travelling to Iowa based purely on a tabloid was bizarre in the extreme. "I'd rather go see the bat child as those parents do need professional help, or the 100 year old who gave birth to a lizard baby"

"How many other papers would report on this? They'd all be too afraid of being mocked."

"Well, at least if we had a legitimate source, we could..."

"Pop Quiz Scully, if I tell you that this case is located near Lake Okobogee a UFO hotspot where as a child Ruby's mother witnessed this." she slapped down a photo "It was August 1967, there were four sightings including one from a national weather service plane. This is a light blasted, digitally enhanced enlargement of a photo taken by a girl scout" she stopped to take a breath "The Air Force said it was a weather balloon caught in a wind sheer. But there wasn't a weather balloon launched that day within seven hundred miles. Scully if I tell you this does it make the case more credible?"

"Well..." it was hard when Sam threw that logic at her to argue with her.

"Yes or no answers only please" Sam had that smile again and Dana found herself nodding

"Yes, yes it does."

(–)

The case itself needed very little intervention from the agents, the local authorities had handed the information over freely and Scully could see why they had written the whole thing off. The young woman in any other time and place would have become just another teenager who left home and fell through the cracks. Unfortunately as Sam investigated they actually ended up causing more trouble, the younger brother had been noting strange binary codes down and after sending it to be checked out whatever Kevin had been writing brought the NSA down on them. Sam tried to make Scully feel bad for telling them where Mulder had got the code but Dana had been swift to point out that if she really thought it was something maybe they should have found a more secure way to look into it.

The two women were at odds as they stood by the lake side arguing the point, Sam seemed sure that there were signs of an alien abduction all around them and Dana felt she was grasping at straws until out of the corner of her eye she saw a white wolf emerge from the foliage.

"Mulder" she whispered beckoning her over, carefully the two women followed the wolf back into the wooded area until they saw three other wolves pawing at the ground "It's a grave" Dana whispered "We need to call this in. Dammit Mulder!" Sam had fired off a round causing the wolves to scatter but Scully to jump out of her skin "A little warning perhaps?"

"It could be her" walking forward Sam started pulling at the stones fighting Dana off as she tried to stop her

"It's a crime scene Sam" pulling on the other woman's arm Dana managed to get her away from the grave "You could be contaminating evidence, go back to the car and call it in."

"I have to see Scully!"

Scully grabbed her by both arms and shook her a little "You will! You will, but given the smell the level of decomposition will be high, she might be unrecognisable but she is definitely beyond our help. Go call it in."

When Sam finished her call and got back to her Dana turned to look at her "It's not like you to not think about the evidence"

"I know"

"I see why this case it affecting you but I need you to talk to me." she said nothing and so taking her hand Scully stared hard at her "Talk to me."

"Do you ever wonder 'what if?' for example what if I had been taken instead of Fox, what if he hadn't been returned? Would I still be searching for him over twenty years later? Would I have just moved on like everyone expects Ruby's family to?" Sam's expression was pained and a little lost "Kevin reminded me so much of myself when Fox was gone, I want to help him"

"I understand that"

"No you don't", Sam sounded pained "they stopped looking for him, mom and dad told me that he had died. They were planning a memorial service our house full of those leaflets they print when someone dies... orders of service all covered with his face. I was living in a house that had given up when he was discovered. What if he hadn't escaped from wherever he was? What if he'd fallen into a ditch and died? He was on the other side of the country, another closed file no one cares about." Dana put an arm around her whilst Sam wiped tears from her cheeks "People go missing all the time. There'll always be another little kid sitting listening to people saying kind words with tight looks on their faces as they don't know what to say. Another kid listening to the arguing and the crying at night but this one I could help. I wanted to help him find her."

It was a great relief to both of them when the body was clearly a male, there was still a chance for Ruby.

(–)

Finding Ruby was in Dana's opinion completely unlikely and so when she and Darlene literally tripped over the body she found it amazing and she did everything in her power to keep her alive. As they travelled home she couldn't help but look over at Sam who looked serenely content, it had upset them both when Darlene had sent them away but as Sam looked at Kevin and Ruby together she'd seemed reassured that the brother and sister would be happy.

(-)

Paperwork is the biggest part of any job in law enforcement with hours devoted to making sure every piece of evidence every small paragraph of testimony is correctly typed up and filed. Dana and Sam were in the middle of this when there was a knock at the door, Sam was about to call out her usual greeting when the door crashed open and Fox Mulder came rushing in his face lit up with boyish enthusiasm.

"The Jersey Devil!" It was all he said and to Dana's amusement it sparked in Sam the same sort of youthful wonder that Fox currently had.

"The Jersey Devil?" Sam stood to face him "How sure are you?"

"They found a body in the New Jersey woods yesterday, missing it's right arm and shoulder. They think they may have been eaten off," He paused building the suspense "by a human."

"Where in New Jersey? And who was the guy? I mean it could be a Mob thing."

"Outside Atlantic City, homeless guy, no reason to end up the way he did!"

"Um Excuse me you two" Dana was getting very confused "Could one of you explain to me how you two can think the Jersey Devil is real?"

"You've heard of it?" Sam seemed surprised by this

"Yeah, it's supposed to come out of the woods and attack people, right? And yes of heard of it, it's sort of like an East Coast Bigfoot or Abominable Snowman who I have also heard of and struggle to believe in."

"Ah but we have an X-File! In 1947 a normal family sees dad get dragged off into the woods, later cops find dear old dad with a few appendages gnawed off."

Fox jumped in with what he knew "Cops corner a large naked man in the woods and gun `im down, the autopsy shows human flesh and bones in the man's large intestine!"

"There is no Autopsy report" Sam continued "the original disappeared from the Patterson PD's files a few years after the incident"

"All we have is a statement from the attending pathologist" The brother added "But now we got a cannibalised body in New Jersey, someone or something out there is hungry!"

"You two could sound a little less happy about it. Also, it's not our case" Dana argued "I don't want to be heading out to Jersey with you two on a case that isn't ours when we have all this to do" she pointed to the paperwork "I have plans tonight that I want to be here for" she wasn't completely looking forward to the plans but she had committed to them.

"Ooh does Scully have a date?" Sam teased and Scully shook her head.

"No I have my Godson's birthday party, I promised I would help and if I didn't have to stay late at work get there early to set up. This is not an FBI matter Mulder... Mulders," she looked from one face to the other knowing she wasn't getting through "local police can handle it and if we show up there we're just gonna step on toes. You two can go if you want but I'm staying here."

"So it's OK if we go" Fox told Sam "I have a lead nearby I want to follow up. You and me little sis, searching for the Jersey Devil, it'll be just like when you visited me in England and we went to Loch Ness!"

"Except this time we have a recent incident to start from." Sam grinned at her brother practically vibrating excitement.

"Come on I already requisitioned a car."

"I don't understand" Dana said slowly

"What's not to understand?" Sam asked "we have a chance to investigate and prove one of the great urban legends!"

"Oh No" Dana shook her head "I understand that you feel the need to look for this thing, I understand that it could be an interesting case, what I don't understand... is why only she is known as Spooky when you're as into this stuff as she is." she stared up at Fox Mulder in surprise "You're just as interested in the paranormal, the other worldly, the downright bizarre but no one talks about it."

"I just don't dedicate my life to it." Fox shrugged as he picked up his sister's jacket and threw it to her "The occasional weird interest can be overlooked if the rest of the time you're chasing serial killers, psychotic con men and other hooligans with an excellent record."

"Can I leave you with this Dana?" Sam asked but Dana could tell it was just a formality as the two of them stood practically bouncing with excitement.

"Sure, we only have one desk after all, it'll actually make things easier for me." The Mulder siblings left together fighting over who would drive and Dana couldn't help but smile after them, they were so similar in moments like this, as excited as a 2 year old in a candy store.

(–)

With Fox's talents at sweet talking the fairer sex they had no problems getting into the morgue, once there they had plenty of time to talk to the pretty female Doctor who had done the autopsy.

"I know they say animals can develop an appetite for human flesh but, this is no animal. You see the teeth marks, just below the clavicle, they're definitely human."

"But it was the Skull fracture that killed him?" Sam asked "That looks like a pretty substantial blow"

"It would have been a very strong person who did this"

"Had he been drinking?" Fox asked "Also who found the body?"

"His blood alcohol level was pretty high, luckily he probably never knew what hit him. It was a park ranger who found the body, Boulay I think his name was."

"Was he still alive when he was being chewed on?" Sam asked hoping the answer would be no

"Hard to say for sure, no sign of a struggle but with the blow to the head and the alcohol he would probably have been too out of it to know it was happening."

"You say it was human, any idea who might have chewed on him?"

"I'd guess Male? Definitely a large adult" the woman looked uncomfortable "Look I really shouldn't be telling you this. I'm under pressure to keep this quiet so I'm keeping some of this under wraps and the rest of the law enforcement around here are doing the same thing."

"Because they think it might be the Jersey Devil?" Sam asked smirking as the other woman flinched "I mean it seems like its the obvious conclusion"

"That's just a story made up to scare kids and keep teenagers from going into the woods for sex." she dismissed the idea immediately "Look I gotta get back to work and if Detective Thomson finds out you're here he'll go nuts."

"Thank you so much for your help" Sam rolled her eyes at her brother's flirtatious tone and smirked as he took the woman's hand and held it just that little bit longer. He stuck his tongue out at her as soon as the doctor was gone "Shut up Sam"

Later when the ranger had taken then out into the woods to show them where he found the body she regretted teasing her brother as she utilised similar skills to get the man talking. He told them about strange stories he's heard over the years and the odd disappearances that happened around the area. "I found the body just over there, lying in those rocks. Thirty-two years with the park service, I've come across some weird stuff but I tell you, never anything like this!" The Ranger was obviously uncomfortable retuning to the scene and kept looking around.

"The victim was a homeless man, you get many of them wandering around out here?"

"Well, occasionally we see some but, most are scared of the woods and don't like to come out here."

"Scared? Of what?" Sam enquired looking innocent

"I don't know, probably the devil."

"Really, I thought that was just a myth." Fox followed his sister's line of questioning knowing it would lead to getting more information in the long run.

"Depends on who you talk to."

"Well what do you think?" Fox smiled and Sam knew why, she was doing her best innocent young woman with no knowledge act and it was always funny to see it work.

"Well like I said I've seen a lot of weird stuff. Like one time, a little over four years ago, I saw what I thought was a, large man come out of a, copse of birch trees, not, not a stitch of clothing. And he was about, sixty yards away, and he starts, sniffing the air, you know like a dog. And then he looks straight at me, and I swear he smelled me because he took off into the woods so fast, you'd swear it wasn't human."

"Really. You never saw him again?"

"No, but sometimes when I'm out here alone I feel him watching me. Once or twice I've found things, some scat half buried like a cat's only more human. Found a half eaten rabbit with what looked like a human cuspid tooth in it it was still warm, freshly killed. And some deer bones that looked like they'd been sharpened into tools for hunting and the like.

"Do you think it might be what's responsible for the body you found?"

"Well little lady I got a pension coming up in a few years, I wouldn't want to say the wrong thing..."

"Of course"

"But I'll tell you one thing, I don't ever come out here without my weapon any more."

It was all they were going to to get so Sam asked "How far is it back into town from here?"

"Bout a mile, mile and a half."

The two of them exchanged a look agreeing silently that the walk would be worth it "We're staying at the Galaxy Gateway for the next couple of days, if you think of anything, will you call us?" she handed over her card with her cell phone number.

"Sure"

"Thank you Ranger" gave her most winning smile and once the Ranger was out of earshot Fox muttered 'Creep' under his breath. "Look men of that age and type respond differently to me if I am all business." she retorted "Whilst he might have told you that stuff eventually I might have just got it out of him a bit quicker."

"Yeah but did you have to be so" he put on a light breathy voice "Oh thank you Ranger Rick" he blinked a few times and she reached out to swipe at him.

"I sounded nothing like that! Just because that's how your 1-800 numbers girls sound"

(–)

Back in DC Dana was surprised how much she was enjoying the party. The boys were running around like crazy and though she was exhausted she couldn't stop smiling "I'm so glad you're here Dana." Ellen touched Dana's shoulder "I really needed the help" They had finally gotten the kids sat down around a table eating food and there was just a little less chaos.

"You're pretty amazing Elle."

"How so?"

"You're just such a natural at all this, I don't know how you keep it all together."

"In time you develop a Mommy radar."

"Mm hm, I don't think I'm cut out for it"

"Dana, you went through the FBI academy, I think all women should do that as training for motherhood." as the two women work Dana can feel Ellen watching her "Seriously, you're great with kids, what're you talking about?"

"I just sometimes wonder how I'm supposed to find the time?"

"Well first you have to get a life."

"I have a life"

"Then it helps if you can find a man."

"I case you'd forgotten the last man I had was a little useless"

"What about men at the office, didn't say your co-worker had a cute brother?"

"Yeah but I think it would be best to keep my work and home life separate. If it went badly I'd be stuck working with his sister."

"Well there are a couple of divorced dad's due to pick up their son's I could introduce you" Dana laughed it off but didn't say no and later when she opened the door to an attractive man who Ellen informed her was one of these divorced fathers she ran a hand through her hair and checked her clothing wasn't covered in cake before giving him a smile.

(–)

"I cannot believe you got us arrested" Sam and her brother were sitting in a small white room waiting to be questioned and refusing to look at each other. They had been camping out in a homeless man's shelter after giving him Fox's motel room key when they'd seen something. Unfortunately a patrol had arrived at the time and the two were soon bundled into the back of a police car and were now sitting in an interrogation room.

"Me?" Fox sounded amazed at her accusation "I have never been on this side of the table before can you say that?"

"I've never deserved to be on this side of the table, if people weren't so scared of having the truth known then I wouldn't have to be here all the time"

"All the time?" Fox turned in his chair to look at her properly "I was talking about the time you 'borrowed' mom and dad's car to go to the movies with your friends without telling them. How often has this happened exactly?"

"Musketeer Bar?" Sam asked pulling two from her pocket and offering one to him.

"SAM?" he was still staring at her but Sam was saved from answering the question by the arrival of detective Thomson

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Enjoying the night life here in beautiful Atlantic City." Fox replied sounding for all the world like it was the truth.

"I'll go right to the D.A.'s office if I have to, obstructing an investigation, misconduct."

"I think that's a good idea, let's all go see her together, and while we're at it why don't we add withholding evidence to the list?" Sam responded rising in her seat

"What are you talking about?

"I'm talking about the evidence you are telling everyone to keep under wraps, statements given to you describing something stalking the back streets of Atlantic City. Evidence of a man attacking and attempting to eat a homeless man. Why else would you have officers sweeping the streets tonight? You know it's out there!"

"No I've got a perpetrator out there. Whether it's Hannibal the Cannibal or Elmer Fudd, I've got a job to protect the people in this city."

Sam was on a roll now her frustration level was high "Oh is that your job? I think it's to keep the dice rolling, keep the tour buses full of tourists rolling in. You know you've got to fill those casinos or this town disappears like a quarter down the slot!"

"We saw it" Fox interrupted before Sam could throw more insults at the detective. "We saw something out there that hasn't been explained."

"What did you see?"

Sam unfolded the drawing that Jack the homeless man they'd spoken to earlier had given them of the creature. She holds it up to be seen by Detective Thompson, the man took it from her and began to laugh "You two have been spending too much time in supermarket check-out lines."

"Who's going to be responsible when you lose your first tourist, Detective?" Sam accused "this creature won't keep to homeless men forever."

"No, but you two are wasting my time and impeding the solution of this case." The man threw the picture down on the table "You wanna go on a safari, go to Africa. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your weekend." he left them alone in the room slamming the door with force.

Sitting back in his seat Fox folded his arms "Well here's another fine mess you've gotten me into"

(–)

As Dana entered the office a fellow agent called out to her "Agent Scully, Agent Mulder is on line three." Scully smiled her thanks to the agent and picked up the phone on the desk beside her

"Where are you?"

"Agent Scully?"

"Oh! Fox!" Dana felt embarrassed at having answered the phone the way she had "I thought they meant it was Sam"

"Well now I know why she asked me to call instead off doing it herself."

Wincing Dana decided she's have a go at her partner later "Sorry, so, where are you both?"

"Well we're not far from where you left us"

"You're both still in Atlantic City? Tell Sam I refuse to do all of her paperwork for her, you'd think a woman with her qualifications would be less of a procrastinator."

"Well Scully I promise you to make her do the work if you do me one small favour."

"What's that noise in the background?" there sounded through the phone the noise of someone retching hideously and she suddenly felt worried about where her partner and her brother were. "Are you both alright?"

"That was a guy getting sick. We're fine but we're kind of in the Drunk tank."

"The drunk tank?" Looking around Scully realises that other people are listening in and so she turns away to continue to talk to Mulder. "What on earth has she done this time?"

(–)

It amused Fox no end how much Scully reminded him of a mother picking up her naughty children from detention. After getting them clean because as Scully said it was not hard to see why they mistook you them a couple vagrants she took them to her car and told them she had someone she wanted them to meet. Hungry Sam had groaned and acted very like a teenage version of herself when their mother had made her dress up to go to parties, he liked the relationship the two women had part friends, part colleagues and part mother and recalcitrant child.

"I'm just so hungry" Sam complained so eventually Scully took them through a drive-through to get them what they needed

"Am I buying or did you manage to pan-handle some spare change while you were at it?" Scully was obviously very unamused by the situation and Fox decided it was easier to hand over the last of the cash in his wallet to placate the woman, guess it was true what they said about redheads.

"Thanks Fox" Sam had bitten into the burger with relish whilst he had tried to be a little more delicate. "Seriously Scully it was totally worth it for what we saw"

"Worth spending the night behind bars?"

"Absolutely" Sam agreed and though Mulder wasn't 100% sure he agreed with her he nodded as well "It was beautiful moving like a cat, quick and graceful. There's no way a normal human could've got up on the roof that fast."

"I agree, and I think it's not a predator it's a scavenger the homeless man just fell in their laps a free meal." Fox spoke decisively, he'd thought a lot about it overnight "They found a way to eat and took it."

"Maybe. It was going through the garbage I think in search of food, if it was a man-eater why didn't it come after me? It may have felt threatened."

"It felt threatened? What about you and your job? What's gonna happen when word of this gets back to the bureau?"

"They dropped the charges," Sam reminded her "that guy Thompson, he ran us through the system just to spite me."

"I'm talking about this Jersey Devil thing, it is not going to be good for either of your reputations."

"We saw it, it was so animal like the way it moved, the way it sniffed the air. It's come out of the woods." Fox looked around at where Dana had pulled up "Where are we?"

"Before we go home I have somebody I want you to meet C'mon." Getting out of the car they followed her as she led them through a college building, once inside they head to an office where Scully is greeted by a professor who offers them all coffee something Mulder is glad to take him up on. "I've told Professor Diamond what you're looking into right now, he's done some research on this sort of thing."

"So you know about the Jersey Devil?" Sam asked and Fox found himself wanting to warn his sister not to get up someone else's nose but as the professor seemed more open than the detective he decided to sit back and let her handle it, after all this was a damn good cup of coffee he'd been given.

"Well yes, it's interesting but many cultures have a story like that one. There are Yetis, Sasquatch, Russian Almas, Dsonoqua."

"Why is that?" Sam seemed to like the man and was less confrontational than she usually was "In your opinion?"

"Oh, it's a kind of universal wild man myth. It's posited as a symbolic fear of our dual natures as humans, as creators of life as well as destroyers of it."

"So you think it's purely myth?"

"I didn't say that exactly, humans have retained hereditary traits through evolution that have proven to be extremely destructive. As a society even now we tend to be tribal and aggressively territorial, this is oriented by selfish sexual and reproductive drives that make co-operation beyond the family-a-tribe hard for us."

"What if through some fluke of nature, a human was born, who reverted to it's most animal instincts, a kind of carnivorous Neanderthal. Wouldn't he occupy a space above us on the food chain?"

"Oh sure, but these days all he'd have to do is wait outside any fast-food restaurant and eat us on the way in." The professor and Sam laughed together she seemed to be appreciating his thoughts on the matter.

"And haven't there been cases where men have been raised in the wilderness by animals who have no language and hunt like predators?

"Oh yes several, but you see there are no animal packs in the area we're talking about that are likely to raise humans that way. Also Cannibalism is extremely rare, even among the lower mammals" The man paused seeming to think about it "It could be possible in the jungles of New Guinea it's just, highly unlikely that what you're suggesting could've survived civilization, a revolution, out in the woods of New Jersey."

Sam grinned at this response "Yeah, highly unlikely, but not outside the realm of extreme possibility?" it was a question Fox had heard her say before and Fox saw her partner roll her eyes at it so obviously Dana had as well.

"It would be an amazing discovery. One that would make my career."

"Fascinating as all this is, I have got to get back to Washington by 7:30" Scully announced "so if you want to keep talking about this I'm going to have to abandon you here."

"Another birthday party?" Fox found himself asking

"No. I have a date." she said it without looking at any of the other three people in the room

"Can you cancel?" Fox's question which even Sam seemed to realise this was a bad one, had been instinctive. Had they been on an actual paid case he'd have been well within his rights but the disdain on Scully's face and the daggers Sam sent her brothers way were loud for such silent gestures.

"No" she told him coldly. "not because I can't but because I won't. I'm entitled to a life outside work."

"I have a life" he argued "I do" he was annoyed when Sam laughed at him "I date!"

"Scully wants a real relationship not a series of hook ups with whatever young thing joins the office Fox" the two women shared a smile and he wondered if they'd talked about him like this before. "You go Dana, we can carry on without you."

(–)

Later when Fox had suggested that the creature might be female and Ranger Boulay had called them about a body being found Sam managed to persuade her brother to let Scully enjoy her date uninterrupted but to call Dr Diamond given his earlier interest in their case. Unfortunately the body disappeared and soon the two agents found themselves accompanied by the ranger and the doctor as they set out on a desperate search for the female Jersey Devil.

"If it is a large primate, it could have a natural fear of heights."

"Like Sam" Mulder teased

"Shall we light a quick fire?" she snapped back "And from what I saw earlier this thing has no fear of heights."

"It should want to stay close to it's food source." Dr Diamond informed them as Fox cut open the fence for them to break in. Fox made sure he was first stepping through the fence to hold it back for the others to follow. Sam had suggested that the doctor stay back as he was the only one of them unarmed and untrained in the situation but he reminded them that he might be useful if the creature could be communicated with.

"We'll start with the lower floors. Ranger Boulay how much time will that dart give us?"

"It'll put down a five hundred pound bear for an hour"

They entered the building and Sam looked around, it's the type of old building she's searched many times before with no lighting, musty smells, broken doors and smashed barred windows.

"Something here!" Dr. Diamond called out "It's blood. She could be bringing her killing here or she could be injured." he sifted through at a pile of rubbish. There are a few empty bags and plastic covers, "If she's injured she might try to head home, lick her wounds so to speak."

Leaving the Ranger and doctor below Mulder and her brother ascend the stairs guns raised and ready, they neither of them intended to shoot the creature but they were also aware that drug addicts often used these places and it would be embarrassing for two FBI agents if they were attacked like that.

"What if it is a female Sam?" Mulder whispered as they cleared rooms "How close is she to you or me? Does she feel emotion? Are her days just spent looking for food? Is she a mother?"

"Maybe she spent her days looking after the male, after all they can't do it themselves." Sam joked in a low tone.

"Eight million years out of Africa, I don't think we're all that different."

"We're not Fox, but we've built skyscrapers, put men on the moon and built computers that work faster than the human mind we believe we are more than her because of these achievements and that's why we dismiss what we don't understand!"

"And in the meantime we pollute and overpopulate the earth"

"Without really thinking of the damage we do, we're just animals at heart... some of us more than others." she grinned at him waiting for him to catch the joke.

"Hey" he punched her arm lightly then paused "do you hear that?" Sam paused quietly, there were new voices downstairs they moved a quietly as they could to the railings and peered over.

"...his name is Fox Mulder and she's Samantha Mulder, they're federal agents, you ever hear of him?" It was detective Thomson and several men all armed and ready.

"No".

"You know him?"

"No." Dr Diamond was lying for them and Samantha could kiss him for it. Putting her hand in her brother's she pulled him away, they could still hear

"Well what are you doing here?"

"I'm a professor of Anthropology."

They continue their search and just as they entered a room Sam saw a figure running past the window. "There" she hisses and the two of them give chase to the outer levels of the building. They head further up not seeing her until Fox calls out and points. Across the roof of the next building someone is running, the nude figure is tall with long dark hair down her back. Seemingly without a second thought Sam sees her brother run and jump over the gap onto the other roof. Not a big fan of heights Sam isn't sure she can join him. The distance isn't wide but its dan high off the ground. She hears voices near her, they are coming and she really doesn't want to get put behind bars, taking a deep breath she steps back as far as she can and then running leaps over landing where Fox had and falling flat on the roof as she did so.

"Damn" she hissed holding her knee, it hurt but ignoring the pain she got back to her feet and followed in the path of the Jersey Devil and her brother.

Once inside the dark building the Mulder's move slower than the creature, Sam pondered the woman's ability to move so quickly, could she have better vision in the dark than them? Did a life time of having to move and think fast make you better prepared for this sort of chase. As she moved she almost fell again as her leg gave way, she's really done some damage when she made that jump.

There is a cry nearby and she catches up with her brother just in time to see both he and the female fall to the ground. The beast straddles Fox's legs and swipes at him hitting his head hard against the stone beneath him.

"FBI! Get away from him" the exclamation is instinctual Sam knows the she-creature had no idea what the FBI is but all she can think of right now is her brother and to her shock it works. The woman jumps away snarling, Sam runs to her brother giving up the chase "Fox? Come on Fox don't do this to me!" he's breathing but not conscious.

"Sam?" his words are slurred and she immediately fears that his head has been hit harder than she thought "Zat you?" he's blinking like what little light there is, is bothering him

"Stay down, Mulder you've been hurt."

"Oh Sam you should've seen her, she was beautiful."

"Stay still" Pressing down on his chest she shook her head "You're bleeding Mulder" He chuckled eyes closed expression goofy "What?"

"Yous only call me Mulder to be nice to me when things are bad, it's not bad Sam." he put his hand over hers helping her press down "Imma gonna be fine."

The SWAT team came running in, soon after the medics followed and Sam watched as her brother who had once again lost consciousness was lifted into the ambulance. Dr Diamond kept asking Sam questions, there were officers with guns surrounding them but for just a moment Sam didn't care. There was an announcement and suddenly everyone was moving out, Dr Diamond and the ranger went with them keen to see this adventure through to the end, Sam looked after them wistfully but climbed into the ambulance her place was with Fox.

(–)

"I'm looking for Fox Mulder" Dana pulled out her ID as she spoke "he was brought in earlier with a head trauma?"

The nurse at the desk inspects the ID and points her down the hall "Room 215"

"Thank you" approaching the door Scully's arms tightened on the bag in her arms, she had come straight here when she'd heard and now she was worried she might be intruding. Deciding it would be ridiculous to turn back now she knocked.

The door opened and Sam stood there with her phone to he ear "Yes mom" she waved Dana in "I'll bring him to see you as soon as he's out"

"Sam!" Fox hissed his face angry, his sister limped back to the bed and sat down.

"I'm sure he'd love to stay with you if the doctors don't clear him"

The brother was looking murderous now and Dana fought a smile down as he ground out Sam's name warningly.

"OK Mom I have to go a doctor just arrived" she winked at Scully and with a cheery goodbye she hung up "Mom sends her love."

"You better tell her the doctors told me everything was fine"

"Like you kept my break up under your hat?"

"Seriously? That was ages ago!"

Dana decided to cut in before the argument got out of hand "Coffee?" She held up the two cups

"Please" Fox brightened up but Dana shook her head

"None for you, it's not good for a concussion."

"Of course my only other visitor is a doctor" the man lay back on the bed wincing as his head touched the pillow.

"I did get you these" She reached into the carrier bag and pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds "Sam says you're addicted to these more than coffee."

"Aw thanks" he sat up his blanket falling down revealing a shapely torso and a bandaged waist, she felt herself flushing under his intense smile and turned to give Sam her coffee then throwing her a bag of gummy worms which she happily ripped into.

"So I heard about what happened, the Detective got his way, all swept under the rug." She felt bad about deserting them, had she been there maybe the creature would have been captured alive, maybe Sam wouldn't have injured her knee, maybe Mulder wouldn't be in a hospital bed.

"Yeah" Sam opened up a file "The good Doctor Diamond and Boulay made sure we got these though." The pictures are sad to see, the creature lies dead her lower half covered in leaves and dirt "We think she was trying to bury herself"

The room is quiet as they all sit saddened by the turn of events "You know as they were a couple it is conceivable that they had a child maybe more than one" Fox finally said.

"The Jersey Devil may live on in their offspring." Sam agreed brightening a little

Dana hated to be the one to depress them again "Out there alone without parents its hard to think they'd survive."

"We don't know for sure these are the only ones out there, there could be a whole tribe."

"I made a few calls before you arrived, Dr Diamond and I have an appointment at the Smithsonian with an ethno-biologist when we get all the medical reports through. I bet she'd want to talk to you both about this."

"I can't" Fox told her opening up his seeds and biting into one "I've been called about a case and need to get back to the office, if I don't go back people are going to question what I'm up to. I told them I fell down some stairs so they should be keeping me on desk duty." fox smiled at his sister "This was fun though, working together."

"It was" she agreed kicking off her shoes and pulling her feet up onto the bed. "Just like old times looking for Nessie, La Bete Gevaudan."

"That trip to Hutukngna" he agreed and Dana sat down resigning herself to a rather creep trip down memory lane with the Mulders.

* * *

Holy Hannah that was a long one but I enjoyed it mostly, Conduit was glossed over so sorry for anyone that loved that episode but I didn't think it was that relevant for my version. It might be a couple of weeks before I upload again, sorry.

Thank you for reviewing every time Love Shipper!


	4. Shadows

I do not own the X-files or make any money from this writing

* * *

"This is ridiculous, I'm calling Blevins they can't just pull us in at a ridiculous hour and then tell us nothing!" Sam was fuming, she was used to the silence the subterfuge but to call herself and her partner in to a morgue at ridiculous o'clock in the morning to examine a body and then refuse to tell them anything of value! She couldn't help but be a little smug under it all that she had a way of investigating this herself but it didn't temper her mood. She turned and found Dana staring at her "What?" she was surprised Scully wasn't as mad as she was. Neither of them had been happy to come down here and the three agents that had summarily dismissed them had obviously bugged her too. "Seriously, what?"

"You know what"

"OK now you're acting like the mannequins we just left behind."

Scully grabbed Sam's arm in a painful grip until they were further from the door "You lied. You have seen this before. You lied to them."

"I did not" she tried to sound offended but Scully wasn't budging "I'd never lie. I may wilfully participate in a campaign of misinformation."

"I don't know who they were but do you really think they'll see it like that?"

"No but abnormal post mortem muscle reflex, both corpses still responding to high levels of electrostatic charge, no sign of external legions or surface burns and bodies yet to cool down I don't think they'll come up with any evidence they'll like for that"

"What do you mean?"

"The X-file I'm thinking of can't be explained and they wouldn't like that, too voodoo for them"

"I still think you're just pushing back against 'the man' Sam, someone is dead a crime has perpetrated and it is out job to help solve it."

"Look I don't care who they are NSA, CIA, a convert organization Congress will uncover in the next scandal." Sam leaned close "It's not important who they are but what they have and they have no idea. You're right I have X Files, other cases each with an element of what we saw tonight. Residual electrostatic charge, internal mutilation without any external causality but this is the first time I've seen it in one case!" She was excited "Pop Quiz, without high pressure can the throat be crushed without the neck even being touched?"

Dana sighed it was clear to Sam the pop quiz questions annoyed him "No"

"Wrong, I have two words for you psychokinetic manipulation."

"Psychokinesis? As in how Carrie got even at prom?"

"You have no idea how many people have looked into this, the Russians, the Chinese! In world war two there was a project..."

"OK!" Dana interrupted holding up a hand "I'm not saying I agree but there was a crime as well as your psychokinesis how can we investigate? We have nothing to go on."

"Weeell" Sam drawled and held up a small magnifying glass set that she'd been using to 'examine' the body, breathing onto the glass she revealed that she had managed to gather several clear prints. Dana's expression was exasperated at first but after a moment she let out a chuckle letting Sam know she'd won her over again.

(–)

"I'm still not sure why you think it's a person" Sam twisted the photo from side to side as she inspected it, she just couldn't see how Dana could not think this was odd. The ATM photo that showed three men attacking the woman they were visiting had a strange smudge that was shaped like a human in the background and for some reason Scully was positive it was a bystander who had helped the woman escape.

"Why not?" Dana asked knocking at the front door, the house was nice, much better than Sam could imagine being able to afford on her salary in her area, how much did secretary's make exactly?

"Hello?"

"Miss Lauren Kyte?" when the woman indicated that she was the woman they looked for Sam gave her a hopefully reassuring smile "I'm Agent Samantha Mulder and this is Agent Dana Scully. We're with the FBI, Do you mind if we come in?"

"Um, I was just in the middle of ..."

Recognising the brush off Sam pushed forward "Thank you. We won't be long."

As she so often did Sam depended on Dana's apologetic smile as she looked around the place, out the corner of her eyes she see's Scully holding up a picture "Have you seen either of these two men before?"

"No.

"Please. Take your time."

"I'm sorry. I've never seen them before." Lauren denied again

"I'm afraid you have." Scully held out another picture this time "This is a surveillance picture from your an ATM, I imagine this wasn't hard to remember?"

"Oh yes" Lauren nodded running a hand over her eyes "I didn't see them properly that night."

"Can you tell us what happened that night?"

"Well... I was depositing my pay cheque when they grabbed me. Somehow I got away and then I ran. I just ran. I was terrified but I didn't want to file a report and go through it all again."

"They were found dead not long after this happened." Scully told her and the other woman reacted but didn't seem surprised "If you look at the picture again, there seems to be someone there. Have you ever seen this person before?"

"No. There's no face or body I'm sorry. It's why I didn't report the attack I won't tell you a thing."

"Won't not can't?" Finally Sam decided to join the interrogation "Does that mean you know?"

"It means I can't recognise anyone and won't be able to tell who it is in the picture."

"Ah, well when you can tell me, this is the number where I can be reached at anytime, OK?" She handed over a card "Let's go Scully"

Once inside their car Scully shook her head all appearance of gentleness gone "You and I with FBI training would have had trouble breaking free from those men, then she outran them? I don't buy it Sam."

"She also somehow crushed their necks and" Sam picked up the pictures that Dana had dropped onto her lap. "I think she knows who the other person in that photo is."

"Did you see the boxes? I think she's packing, she might be running away from whoever helped her they must have been pretty violent." Suddenly to Scully's surprise the car jerks back and the two women are jolted as the car reverses, "What the Hell?" Scully grabbed at the wheel attempting to control the car.

"The doors are locked" Sam pulls at the handle

"Oh Shit, Hang on Sam!" Scully was slamming her foot on the break and trying to steer but nothing seemed to be working.

"DANA!" They back straight into an intersection and another car runs into them. They are sent sliding but they've stopped and are relatively unharmed. Breathing heavily the women look at each other in relief. "Is it over?"

"Yeah. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Sam looked over at the other driver, who seems as confused as them about what was happening, turning she got a glimpse of Lauren still looking out the window until the curtains fall and she's hidden from sight.

(–)

"You can't ignore that the filaments were heated due to massive levels of electrostatic charge. Just like the bodies at the morgue. Don't you find it just the least bit odd that Lauren Kyte was present at both incidents?"

"Our car was obviously sabotaged, when would she have been able to do that, we were with her the entire time"

"What if it's possible somehow to raise a body's electrostatic charge and use that energy to affect far away objects?"

"Dammit Sam she be glowing like those lights on the car and her body would never be able to take that kind of abuse."

"I could quote evidence of this all through the X Files, People have seen furniture moving untouched, objects levitating, unexplained electrical discharges. Most people who have psychokinetic power are unaware of their ability."

"Look I still don't think Lauren Kyte crashed our car"

"Or!" Sam held up a hand "a poltergeist."

Unable to help herself Scully found herself imitating the little girl from the film of that name "They're here..."

"God don't do that, you know that kid creeped me out, also you know that film was cursed right? Actors from that film have died in strange circumstances."

Rolling her eyes Dana ignored this obvious attempt to distract her "Sam look at the tangible evidence. Mid-East extremists are killed trying to assault a woman working for a manufacturer connected to the Defence Department. At any point while we questioned her someone sabotaged the car. Maybe the same someone we saw in those ATM photos. The mystery isn't ghouls or energy, it's her accomplice. Hey there she is"

Lauren is standing up from where she has just placed flowers on a grave, waiting until she has left the two of them get out the car and run over only to be surprised by the grave they are in front of.

"You don't see too many people visiting their bosses graves!" Scully muttered

"Oh I plan to visit a few" Sam was grinning again "Of course I'll be dancing on them."

"Look at this one. Sarah Lynn Graves September 8, 1966 to August 3 1969, three years old that's a tragically short life" she looked around at the groundskeepers they'd walked past earlier "Excuse me, Sir? Is there an office here? I need to find out about these graves."

"I attend every funeral. I can help you out."

"Do you know how Sarah Lynn is related to Howard Graves?"

"His daughter. He didn't latch the pool gate and didn't notice when she got in, poor thing drowned. His wife left him a year later. She's buried up in the North-east corner."

"Thank you, Sir."

"If she'd lived, she'd be Lauren's age." Sam remarked and the two of them shared a look "Look we already know she isn't in touch with her family, hasn't been for at least 2 years perhaps the two of them filled a void in each others lives"

"That isn't exactly helpful, how are the attacks and the murders, if at all?" Scully shook her head "No the answers to these questions lie in finding the identity of Lauren Kyte's accomplice and there is a chance Graves faked his own death"

(–)

"I've had all the information double checked just to be on the safe side. The tests are conclusive, the dura mater does belong to Howard Graves." Scully sighed as Sam picked her up "He is indeed, very dead." Sam didn't answer but Dana noticed that they were heading back to Lauren Kyte's home "Are we going to Lauren's?" Sam nodded "What's going on?"

"She called me asking me to come round, she sounded scared."

"I looked into her life a bit more, there are no violent boyfriends or police reports for call outs to her address. I'd say she was completely clean if it wasn't for 2 speeding tickets in the last month."

Sam made a sound of understanding as they pulled up outside Lauren's home "Did you hear that?"

It sounded like screaming, both agents pulled out their guns and raced up to the house, Sam struggled with the door and when she finally got it open tripped over the body lying just inside. It's dark but it looks as though there is a man hanging in mid-air in the middle of the room. Just as Scully joined her the man fell to the floor, Dana ran from body to body checking for pulses but shook her head as she indicated that she found nothing. Sam went to Lauren who was whimpering in a crouched position on the floor, putting an arm around her she guided her out to the car.

They called for back up while the bodies were being bagged up and the house inspected for evidence Sam and Scully took Lauren to be interviewed. It was satisfying to see that she said nothing for the 'men in black' that first interviewed her, Sam was itching to get in and really talk about what was happening. It was Sam's belief in her that got Lauren to finally talk.

"I don't know if you've ever been a secretary. Sometimes your boss talks as if you weren't even in the room, it can hurt, you know?" she shook her head "Sometimes when things are bad and he doesn't have much outside the office you're all he has to talk to. That is how it was all the time with Howard neither of us had anyone to go home to. One night, I went into his office. He was crying, more scared than sad I think. The Pentagon contracts were being cancelled, the company was in trouble and he felt personally responsible for his employees, seeing and feeling their fear every day it wore him down. Then this one time, Dorland came with that group, that Mid East group the Isfahan they're basically terrorists. They'd buy parts at outrageous prices for as long as they could get away with it. That night Howard was crying he had just found out the Isfahan had just claimed responsibility for killing a couple of sailors in Florida. He was never the same and I thought that was why he killed himself. But he didn't... I saw ... Howard showed me how Dorland had him killed. They made it look like a suicide because he could see that Howard was going to put an end to the deal. He was going to tell people even if it meant trouble with the Isfahan.

"And now Howard is protecting you?" Sam asked the scepticism in her voice was clear to Sam.

"It sounds so ridiculous."

"But you believe it?"

"That man was closer to me than my own father. I told him that once and I still feel his presence sometimes. Every now and then I even smell his aftershave, I'm telling you f you just could've seen the things I've seen... I just want it all to go away. I'm leaving and then maybe it'll be enough, maybe I can leave him behind."

"That's not going to be enough." Scully told her walking forwards and taking her hand in hers "You've been given the chance to let him know how much he means to you again. Tell him you love him by showing him, help us finish his unfinished business. Will you ever be able to rest if he can't?" It was a convincing speech and even Sam felt like jumping up and saying that she'd help. It had the same effect on Lauren obviously as the woman nodded.

"OK." she wiped at her eyes and nose "I'm a mess. I'm going to wash up"

"For someone who doesn't believe you sure give one inspiring speech Scully."

"Mulder, there's no such thing as ghosts or psychokinesis. I am still sure there's a reasonable explanation but I **do** think that she believes that her old boss has come back and is protecting her. Our priority as law enforcement is to get her to help us stop Dorland."

"Sacrificing our best opportunity to observe spectral phenomena?"

"I'm giving us a chance to solve a case that's not only tangible but that could give our department accolades instead of hearing jokes while we chase after shadows."

They joined the team already investigating and numerous agents were pulled in for the search, Sam was impressed with seeing Dana in her element giving orders it was more than a little sexy to be honest. They charged in, it was an onslaught of blue coats with yellow letters barking orders and instructions. Sam stayed close to Lauren trying to reassure her, in the office Dorland never took his eyes off the young secretary and it was clear that his thoughts were predatory in more than one way. The search took time but they found nothing and the agents were becoming more and more disconsolate. Frustrated as she was Sam could see the looks being exchanged by her fellow agents and she knew exactly what they were thinking. They were sure she had messed up their investigation and she was starting to worry about it herself

Casual despite his dark looks Dorland was standing in a corner with the employees barely breaking a sweat finally despite everything. When they all begin to pack up his smug smile was infuriating, Sam could hear muttering around her about a waste of time and a years work down the drain. Finally she and Lauren are alone in an office as everyone else is moving out.

"Lauren, it's over. We have to go, what we're looking for isn't here." Lauren starts yanking pictures from desks and walls pulling them apart even as Dorland entered the room.

"Hey! She isn't an agent and I've been more than cooperative and I don't want to be combative, but she has no right destroying my personal property.

Lauren turned to stare at him in disbelief "Destroying property? What about that van that blew up and killed those servicemen? What about Harold?"

"I don't know what you're talking about you stupid little bitch!" Holding a letter opener Lauren runs at the man

"Lauren, No!" As she reaches him Dorland manages to deflect her and pushes her down, then there is a change in the air and the man is pushed against the wall by something unseen. The office door slammed shut and somehow out of literally nowhere a wind blew up. Against the wall Dorland is pulling at his neck gasping for breath

"No! Don't kill him! Please help us find the evidence we need!" in the next moment Dorland drops to the floor and around them the light bulb start exploding.

"Get down." Sam pulled Lauren away from the flying glass, the office door is still closed but she can hear Dana calling for her and banging on the door. The remaining pictures fly from the wall and the wind is getting wilder. Desk drawers open and papers start to fly around the room. The letter opener that Lauren had almost used as a weapon hovers in the air near Dorland's face and then suddenly turns and embeds itself in the wall. It cut into the powder blue wallpaper tearing it and the everything stops. The door flies open and the agents entered looking shocked at the mess around them. A little stunned Samantha Mulder walked across to the wall tearing at the paper she removed a floppy disk "I guess what we're looking for is on here."

(–)

"Seriously Fox I wish I'd been able to get it on tape, it was amazing" Sam grinned at her brother as she finished telling him about the supernatural events she'd witnessed. They had the game on and were watching it whilst he chowed down on sunflower seeds and she bit into a gummy worm.

"But Scully saw nothing?"

"She wasn't in the room and convincing her about the car was a lost cause, imagine trying to tell her what Lauren and I saw. It would be impossible."

"Must be frustrating to work with."

"Actually no" Sam shook her head "I have to fight for everything and she pushes back every time but maybe I need that. If you and I were in that office together you'd say Ghost, I'd say psychokinesis and neither of us would care about disproving the logical explanation. With Scully there I have to cover all bases and make sure everything every possible explanation is followed through. She keeps me grounded."

"And that's good?"

"Look if it weren't for her proving Harold was dead people would assume it was a case of faking his own death and ignore the real case entirely. When we went after Tooms she demanded reason from me, proof, so we went to an old detective and got more evidence. I would have just continued on my merry way without that and maybe I wouldn't have discovered his hidey hole."

"And someone else would be dead."

"Exactly, I think she might make the X-files more legitimate and she was right about helping solve that case. According to the AD we were 'invaluable' to it's success. It's been a long time since I was in that office for praise." they clinked their beer bottles together and then jumped to their feet cheering at a touchdown. Once back in their seat Sam smiled at Mulder "I think helping with that case kept the higher ups off ours back for a while."

"So what do we think, shall we let her stay?" Fox asked as though they had a say in Scully's future employ.

"Definitely, more than just what she does on the job, I like her. We hang out I can't remember the last time I had someone other than you to just do this with."

"And I'm not enough?" Fox pretended to be offended but there was a troubled look on Sam's face

"One day soon you'll stop chasing after girls and find an actual woman to date, then you'll get married and have kids and you won't have as much time for me, that's assuming I even like your wife you might choose an idiot.."

"Hey" he took her hand tightly in his "No matter what happens in life I'm going to be around for you and if I marry someone that you think is a complete idiot you have to tell me. I won't marry someone who doesn't get along with you or Christmas and thanksgiving will be awfully awkward.

"Because it's all good with our parents and my life choices?"

"They'll get over it all eventually," he ignored her snort of laughter "and hey you might be the one who settles down and leaves me in the cold."

"I don't think so Sam shook her head feeling disconsolate it's taken me almost thirty years to find a friend who can stand my weird ideas and behaviour. Finding someone who could do that and live with me? Very unlikely!" She noticed Fox looking sad at her words and grinned "Look I have the Gunmen as well but Dana is the first adult female friend I've really ever had so don't go sleeping with her and ruining it for me."

Fox wrinkled his nose at that "I'm not some hound dog who goes after anything with a skirt."

"No sometimes they wear pants" the deflection worked and Fox was soon teasing his sister as she bantered right back.

* * *

Please review, I feel like this episode and chapter was a little lacklustre, I'm looking forward to a more exciting one to write.


	5. Ghost in the machine

Ghost in the machine

I do not own anything recognisable.

* * *

Stretching her neck Scully tried to get comfortable, she was sitting in Sam's chair typing and was almost relieved when there was a heavy knock at the door. It was flung open before she could respond and to her surprise Fox marched in looking thunderous, it was a surprising change in a man who she'd only ever seen to be easy going.

He stopped probably nonplussed by the sight of her instead of who he expected "Is Sam here?" Scully wondered briefly what her partner could have done to bring about this sort of ire but soon dismissed the thought. However much the Mulder siblings fought they never got to this level of anger.

"She went out to get lunch, she should be back in a few minutes" he nodded and paced the room looking angry and a little lost "Are you OK?"

"Fine" he ground out and she raised an eyebrow, he saw it and stopped with a grudging smile "Something happened and I'm trying to handle it without kicking someone's ass."

"As in a terrible crime, an X-file or someone actually being an ass?"

As she hoped he smiled properly at this and Dana saw some of his tension dissolving "A bit of both"

"Well the X-file can wait for Sam but if you need to vent some of the steam I can see coming out of your ears" she was relieved to see him chuckle at this "you can talk to me I promise to be completely impartial. Or completely on your side whatever you want"

"Impartial is different, Sam's always immediately on my side." He sat on the opposite side of the desk in what was generally her chair "an old friend asked for a favour, he has a high profile case and his job is already on shaky ground so I said yes like a schmuck! I should have known better because at the meeting today I realised he stole the profile notes I'd written and passed them off as his own."

"What did you say to him?"

"Nothing yet, I was too mad and was worried I'd punch him." Scully could see the tension in his jaw building up again "I don't mind helping him and if he needed the kudos I'd have given it to him."

"Sounds like a rubbish situation"

"Sounds like he's a scumbag" another voice cut in and they turned to see Sam in the doorway "it was Lamana right? I never liked him."

"It was" Mulder threw himself back in the chair I can't believe I let him get to me like this, it's no wonder his career is hanging on by a thread if this is how he treats his co-workers."

"I imagine it has more to do with losing that evidence in Atlanta."

"What" Scully looked at them in surprised

"He had a little bad luck and misplaced a piece of evidence, he'd bagged it and everything. Sent it to the cleaners."

"And the rest" Sam urged him to finish the story

"The case was rather violent" he admitted looking embarrassed "By the time he got it back, a federal judge had lost both his hands and an eye.

"Oh My God" Scully was stunned "that's what you call a little bad luck?"

"Jerry is a good guy, a good agent"

"Oh he rode your coat tails while you did all the work"

Fox shook his head "He did all of the grunt work with me, it was only right we shared the credit."

Sam made a noise of disgust and Scully could see that the two of them were not going to agree anytime soon, she had brothers herself and could recognise a stand off when she saw it. "Sam he said the case could possibly fall under the x-files purview"

"Maybe. At the moment it looks like some kind of elaborate booby trap, cause of death was electrocution but the whole thing was a mess. The whole building is automated like living in a bad sci-fi, somehow someone had tampered with the server. They switched the ground to the negative so that when he put a key in the lock it completed the circuit. Melting the key and throwing him about 10 feet."

"What's **your** profile?" Sam asked putting the emphasis on 'your' probably to drive home her point about Mulder's old partner

"It was a crime that would have been very difficult to set up, it speaks of devious premeditation this would have been weeks maybe months in the planning and set up. The killer is obviously highly intelligent, the systems in that building are so complex almost no one could reconfigure it that way it needed to be. Also I'd say he was some kind of sociopathic game player probably a recluse since he designed a trap that avoided contact with the victim but he was smart enough to make sure it put him a safe distance from the crime."

"So who could have known the system well enough to make those changes?"

"According to the systems engineer? One person. Brad Wilczek and it's headline news how much those two hated each other."

"Seems like you don't think it was him" Scully said seeing Fox's expression

"It just seems too obvious him killing Drake would be brazenly egomaniacal."

"Isn't that what Jerry's profile suggested?" Sam teased tossing Dana her lunch "Lets go interview him. Dana can you get hold of the autopsy results and look them over make sure nothing's weird?"

"Any idea what I'm looking for?"

"I just said..." Sam held up her arms in a questioning gesture and Dana shook her head. "something weird."

"I'm driving" Scully heard Fox announce as Sam followed him out of the office.

"Of course you are, I need to eat my lunch!"

(-)

"You know I almost bought a place just like this" Sam joked as they walked up to the sleek expensive house set in more land than anyone without many at least three horses could need. "but I figured it was a little much for one person alone."

"Well this is what a 220 IQ and a $400 million severance settlement buys you. Maybe we should have gone into the private sector" the two of them had looked the place over with awe as they drove up and it hadn't faded with scrutiny, Fox knocked on the door and it was opened almost immediately

"Yes?"

"Brad Wilczek?" Both Mulders held up their badges "We're with the FBI."

"What took you guys so long?" he asked gesturing them to enter "Oh, do you mind taking off your shoes?"

"It's a good thing Dana isn't with us" Sam said in a low voice as they pulled off their shoes and left them on the stand by the door.

"What do you mean?"

"You must have noticed that she's tiny? It's why she wears those heels all the time they're incredibly unpractical for running but she needs them or I just look over her head." they shared a smile before getting back to business. Wilczek was surprisingly open about his hatred of the deceased and the other people in charge of his company but he claimed innocence and neither Mulder felt any deception from him.

"You can divide the computer science industry into two types of people neat and scruffy."

"I take it Benjamin Drake fit into the first category."

"Neat people they like things neat. They wear nicely pressed suits, shiny shoes and work on surface phenomena. Things they can understand. Market shares, and profits."

"And you had a different vision for the company?"

"I started Eurisko out of my parents' garage. I was 22 years old. I'd just spent a year following around the Grateful Dead. You know what Eurisko means?"

"That's from the Greek, isn't it?" Mulder frowned in concentration "I think it means, I learn things."

"I discover things." Sam corrected and Brad nodded to her "But I don't know what this has to do with his murder"

"Ben Drake wasn't interested in discovery. He was a short-sighted, power-hungry opportunist. This here that you're standing in is a Smart Home. From this prototype, I have access to every square foot of my house. This place is as safe as Fort Knox and as energy efficient as your average igloo. We were two years ahead of Microsoft and Cebus then Drake, in his infinite wisdom, killed the program."

"Is this whole thing like the one at the corporate building?"

"A similar design and set up yes."

"Mr Wilczek?" Sam spoke to the man seriously "Pop Quiz In your opinion, how many people know the system well enough to override it?"

"One or two not including myself come to mind."

"Could someone have hacked into the system?" Fox questioned

"Well, not your average phone freak, that's for sure. But there's plenty of kooks out there. Data travellers, Electro wizards, techno anarchists. Anything's possible."

"And of course it would be easiest for you to have done it" he wanted to make sure the man realised where this was headed.

"Of course. I designed the system. That's why you guys are here, isn't it?

"You are our most logical suspect." Fox agreed

"You don't seem too worried." Sam stated looking the man over

"It's a puzzle, Miss Mulder, and scruffy minds like mine we like puzzles. We enjoy walking down unpredictable avenues of thought, turning new corners but as a general rule, scruffy minds don't commit murder."

"As a general rule in my line of work we can't rule anyone out based on something like that." Sam countered frowning at the man "We'll be back with more questions"

–

The next day Fox picked up Sam to drive her into work, he woke her earlier than she usually would and carted her off before she's had a proper coffee. She guessed it was so he could let off a little more steam about the situation and she was proven right when he spent most of the drive complaining about Jerry who had so far avoided him incredibly well considering they were working the same case. They headed straight for the X-Files office where they found Scully was already in and had set up several computers. "What are you up to?" Sam asked throwing herself into a chair and rummaging through her drawer for snacks.

"There was a phone call just before the murder, all the calls in the building are recorded and I asked if I could get this one to be analysed."

"Where did you get all this stuff?" Mulder asked taking in the different pieces of equipment.

"I borrowed it from the voice biometrics lab at Georgetown, I know someone there. It's a computer spectrogram capable of identifying individual speech patterns. Now this is the recording the Central Operating System made of the phone call Drake received just before he died."

"You got a lot done this morning" now chewing on gummi bears Sam made her way to the coffee pot happy to find it ready with rich dark liquid "I can't even function yet" she rifled through the filing cabinet and pulled out a couple of hostess treats "Pay dirt" she opened one up and sank her teeth into it. At that moment there was a knock and Jerry Lamana poked his head around the door "Oh God this I really cannot deal with, take him out before I throw something at him!"

To her relief Fox took the man out of the room to talk, she wasn't sure what the two said to each other but when they came back in they looked less confrontational and she was about to vent her spleen with a comment about testosterone when Dana interrupted them with her weird experiment.

"Listen to this!"

_'At the tone, Eastern Standard Time will be 7:35 p.m.'_

"That was the call that Drake received just before his death, now this was spliced together from a series of lectures Brad Wilczek gave at the Smithsonian last year."

"_At the tone, Eastern Standard Time will be 7:35 p.m." _the recording was was less tidy "Now we'll stack them." as they played the two of them again they certainly seemed similar.

"Your saying this is the same person? The caller was Wilczek?"

"Yes both voices are Brad Wilczek's. He may have disguised his voice electronically, but he couldn't alter the form that is unique to his own speech patterns." Scully sounded triumphant as she grinned at them

"Which could mean that he was the one that killed Drake." Mulder agreed pointing at the areas that showed the similarities "He had the motive and the means."

"And now we some physical evidence he was involved." Scully and Fox shared a smile and Sam continued to moodily sip at her very black coffee,

Fox pulled on his coat again "Judge Benson lives in Washington Heights. I can get a warrant in less than an hour."

"Someone has to make sure Wilczek stays put."

"I'll go with you." Mulder turned back to Sam and Scully "You two could get the warrant."

"No. Let me bring him in alone. I need this one, Mulder." they shared a look and finally Mulder assented.

"I knew it" Sam muttered under her breath but from the looks Scully and Fox gave her it hadn't been too quiet "And I don't think it's him."

Sam stood outside her brothers office for a good ten minuted before knocking on the door. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to him it was more that the Mulders didn't do well with this sort of situation. It had started when their grandfather died and their mother had told them to restrain themselves at his graveside. In hind site asking two children of five and eight not to cry a their grandfather's coffin was lowered into the grave had definitely damaged them but it was more telling of their parents was of dealing with grief. When she went in Fox was looking at a screen with the video of Wilczek at Eurisko.

"I heard about Jerry. I'm sorry."

"I think you were right before, I don't think Wilczek did it."

"I'm so relieved you said that" Sam breathed out "It doesn't make sense. Why would he go back to Eurisko?"

"That first kill was well thought out, methodical I know he didn't have a lot of time for this one but he wouldn't just react in such a way."

"Scully thinks it could be to destroy evidence, cover his tracks."

"If you were going to destroy evidence, would you pose for the cameras?" He pointed to the security tape he'd been watching for the last half hour. I think Wilczek is smarter than this."

"Problem is he just signed a confession and the people upstairs are too happy and satisfied with the result to care either way."

"No we need to talk to him"

"I tried, apparently you need a code five clearance to even talk to him."

"Code five?"

"Yeah I was surprised too, I spoke to a contact higher up who thinks they have plans for him a guy like that"

"Who do you know upstairs?" he asked a stern look on his face

"Doesn't matter, look his mind would has often been wanted by people in the military and for years, Wilczek has turned down any contract involving weapons applications. A little time in prison might change his mind."

"I might be able to get in" Fox said, "My clearance is higher than yours and I have a better relationship with some of the people on his detail"

"We need to know why he confessed" she agreed "And to find out if he can kill his thing."

"He's protecting the machine, you said it yourself he cares, the possibilities with this kind of thing is terrifying, drones that make decisions based off orders. If a soldier is a decent man and sees... say a school next to munitions place he'll think of a way to destroy it without too much loss of life. Send a machine out there with the same instructions it'll obliterate everything innocents be damned. And if it's like this machine..."

"I would think for itself, eventually it might see humanity as the real problem, very Isaac Asimov"

"I was thinking it might rise up Skynet style."

"Of course you were" Sam rolled her eyes but nodded at him "Ok you get in to see him and talk to him I'll go over the records and see if we missed anything that could help."

Mulder held up his fist "Wonder twin power..." she stared at him in disbelief but he repeated the phrase and action making her laugh and hit his fist with her own.

"Activate. You're such a dummy"

(-)

With very little difficulty Mulder managed to talk his way through to visit Brad under the guise of needing paperwork signed. The agents guarding him had read through the most innocuous documents Fox could throw together, he wasn't quite level five but he was a lot closer than Sam and a lot more respected by the other agents in the FBI.

"How are you doing in here?"

"They make me wear shoes all the time."

"Given that you're not in your systematically clean home any more, I'd wear the shoes if I were you."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want you to tell me why you're willing to spend the rest of your life in prison for a crime you didn't commit." the question surprised Wilczek and his expression went from petulant to calculating.

"What are you talking about? I'm guilty."

"I know you're innocent. You're protecting a machine the Central Operating System at the Eurisko building."

"If I'm protecting anything, it's not the machine."

"Do you really believe allowing that machine to be investigated or studied will be that detrimental?"

"After the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Robert Oppenheimer spent the rest of his life regretting he'd ever glimpsed an atom."

It was a reasonable comparison but Fox wasn't going to let him bury himself in self pity like this "Oppenheimer regretted his actions but he never denied responsibility for them."

"He loved the work Mr. Mulder. His mistake was in sharing it with an immoral government. I won't make the same mistake."

"But your machine killed Drake and it killed my friend."

"I'm sorry about what happened. But there's nothing I can do."

Mulder stood feeling furious "You talk about morality? You're afraid of the government but you're willing to accept the risk that your machine will kill again."

"The lesser of two evils."

"What about a third option? You created that machine, now you tell me how to destroy it."

Wilczek stared up at him obviously weighing up whether he was trustworthy or not. "That agent was a friend of yours?"

"Used to be my partner, he can... could be" he corrected the tense feeling a pang of grief "an ass sometimes but he didn't deserve what he got"

(-)

Standing outside the Eurisko building Fox didn't recognise the car that drove up and he was surprised when Dana exited "What are you doing here?" he asked "I called Sam and left a message did she contact you?"

"What? No, someone is accessing my home computer, I write up everything from the x-files on my computer at home so no one can stumble across it at work. Somehow someone has hacked me and I traced it they're inside here now."

"It's the machine" she looked confused and he realised that Sam probably hadn't told her about his theory "Shall we wait for Sam?"

"We don't know when she'll get that message." Dana shook her head "If she doesn't pick it up right away we could be waiting hours. You can if you want. I need to find out who's doing this now, there's so much sensitive information at risk."

"It's the machine." he repeated and he wondered how Sam could cope with her rolling her eyes like that all the time.

"Of course it it. Look do you have a way I can get in?"

Smiling in what he knew was a slightly smug fashion he held walked back to his own car "You ever hear of the Trojan Horse?" Reaching into trunk he pulled out the license plate Wilczek had told him to pick up, it read EURISKO. She was amused at his antics as he fixed the plate onto his own car and they drove down to the parking garage but he could tell she was nervous as they sat in the car waiting to see if the trick would work. After stressful few moments there was a green light and the gate rose up "Open, Sesame!"

"First Greek possible myths now Arabian Nights?" he was about to respond as they drove forward but a noise above interrupted. The gate came crashing through the roof narrowly missing them as Fox instinctively ducked and moved to bring Dana down as well but she was already down. Once they realised it wasn't coming down any further he asked if she was alright.

"I'm alright Mulder, you?" she spoke loudly so she could be heard over the blaring car horn

"Yeah, does your door open?"

She turned to try it "Uh, yeah, come on" they climbed out of the wreck. Annoyed by the noise but also not wanting to attract attention from anyone outside Mulder opened the hood and yanked out the relevant wires.

"So much for the element of surprise." he looked her over she was mussed but he couldn't see any injuries "What do you say we take the stairs?"

"I sure as hell wasn't going near that elevator"

(–)

Sam pulled up to the Eurisko building and instantly recognised Dana's own car, she didn't remember her brother saying anything in his message about calling Dana but perhaps he had. She'd been in such a rush to leave once she heard the start of the message she hadn't given it much attention. Walking around the building she soon saw the open garage door and keeping a wary eyes on the gate above crawled under it. To her relief the car was empty and there was no blood that she could see but it was pretty dark and she pulled out her flash light to double check. Finding nothing she put her hand on the engine and it was still warm, they hadn't been here long.

(–)

"28 down, one to go." Mulder announced as they reached another floor, Scully was trying not to let it show how tired she was and really regretting her decision to throw on her heels rather than her sneakers when the lights went out.

"Oh, great. Mulder?" there was a circle of white light and Fox shone his flashlight on her.

"Trick or treat." she shook her head reminded once again of how similar Sam and Fox were. They carried on up the last set of stairs but as Scully reached for the door handle he jumped forward "No!"

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want us to make the same mistake as Drake, don't worry I'm like a boy scout" the took an insulated screwdriver out of his bag and touched it to the lock and sparks flew making them both jump back

"Do you hear that?" she asked listening to a beeping sound

"Let's try again" Once again Mulder reached forward and this time he tries door. "Locked. What are you looking at?" At first Scully wonders what he's talking about until she realises he's looking up a the camera's.

"Big brother is watching" she watched him reach up to cover the lens "That still doesn't get us in" Mulder was shining his torch around and then it hit a vent and she saw him smile "What?" he looked at her and then up at a ceiling vent and she groans making a token protest "No" with another roll of her eyes she let a hand rest on the bannister and leaned down to remove her shoes.

"I gotta ask how do you run in those?" he was amused to see that Sam was right Dana was tiny without the heels.

"Carefully and damn fast" she told him with a smirk, he bent down holding his hands into a step for her and she put her hand on his shoulder as he lifted her up to the vent, as he pushed her up his hand ran the length of her body cupping her ass as it did "Watch it!"

"My hand slipped" he defended and she frowned down at his cheeky smile

"Sure it did" she used her elbows to gain some leverage and purposefully she gave a little kick in his direction.

"You OK?"

"Mm-hm" she lifted herself up and in with as much grace as she could possibly manage.

"There should be a way for you to drop down on the other side and open the door."

"That's what I'm looking for!" she scrabbled along, it was incredibly difficult to manoeuvre and the wind seemed to be picking up, in face it was picking up a lot "well I have no desire to do this ever again" the wind was getting more forceful and forcing her to slide away from her destination "MULDER!" it was harder now sending her slipping further from where she'd left her fellow agent.

(–)

As she reached the level 29 the door was open Sam paused, the vent above her was making a weird noise and the grill was off, guessing that they'd used it to gain access but instead of going to the control room she followed the line of the vent. As she got closer she heard yelling.

"DANA?"

"Sam" The voice was muffled but she heard it "Sam help" there was a vent close by .

"I'm coming" running to a nearby office she gabbed a chair and climbed up, pulling out a screw driver she made quick work of the grill which came off far too easily for such an expensive building. Hefting herself up a little she was stunned by the wind blowing around, it could not be normal.

"Dana" she could see her friend just hanging on and she reached out, with a bit of contorting she managed to get her arms around Dana's shoulder and heaved her towards the exit, Dana screamed in pain but they were fighting the wind and gravity at this point "I've got you" she declared, it was a rather pointless thing to say but she wanted to reassure her friend "I've got you" with a sharp tug the two women started to fall back into the open. Being the right way up and half landing on the chair Sam' fall was a little more graceful. Dana being the wrong way round had come crashing through and though she tried to catch herself she ended up falling in a heap.

"Dana are you alright?" took her partner's arm intending to help "let me help you" the red head cried out and scrambled away. She was exhausted and in a lot of pain but when she fell awkwardly on her arm there had been a pop and it looked as though she was fighting the urge to constantly scream in pain.

"Was that your arm?"

"My shoulder" she hissed holding it in place "Oh God I think it's dislocated"

"Let me help"

"No! You should... your brother, he's trying to kill the system with a virus you need to go find him make sure he's OK. I'll be fine here."

"Are you sure?"

"Contrary to every movie you've ever seen it is better to have a professional fix this, go help your brother."

(-)

Waiting had never been his strong point so Mulder was relieved when she door finally opened "Scully?" he was a little surprised when the building supervisor looked out into the stairwell "Oh It's you!" he looked up at the vent again "Scully!?" there was no answer only a strange clattering and whirring from above.

"Agent Mulder? What are you doing here?"

"Just a bit of extra investigating... loose ends."

"How did you get in?"

"Something's happened to the gate downstairs, looks like a break in attempt."

"Doesn't surprise me" the man said with a heavy sigh "The machine's been acting all crazy. Power surges, shut off. That's why I'm here so late."

"I need to get to the control room as soon as possible!" Mulder looked up, he could hear something going on in the vent "Scully I'm going after the machine" he was worried about her but anything that was happening was due to the machine and if he stopped it it would be the best way to help. Once inside he reached into his bag for what he needed "Where's the B port?"

"Oh, it's right back here." he opened the console but viewed Mulder askance "Look, are you sure you know what you're doing? Because if you don't it's my job on the line."

The device didn't work at first and Mulder swore, he pulled it out and tried again and this time it worked flashing a green light Mulder clapped his hands together then ran to keyboard

"Now I can put in the virus."

"Not bad, Agent Mulder. You know, I've been trying to access the CPU for the past two years. Now please, take out your gun and remove the clip." feeling like an idiot Mulder let his head hang forward "Careful."

"Defense Department?" he guessed miserably

"Lets just say our pay-cheques are signed by the same person. Now give me the diskette and step away from the console." he didn't move from the chair "You don't want to test my resolve Agent Mulder." he was about to hand over the disc when she door flew open and a very exhausted and a little windblown Sam entered the room "Put the disc in Fox. And you Mr Peterson, put down the gun"

"Look you may think you know what you're dealing with..."

"I don't care get that gun off my brother"

"You're making a mistake Agent Mulder the technology in this machine is of enormous scientific interest."

"The machine's a monster it's already killed two people" Sam exclaimed as Fox put the disc in

"Make no mistake you will both be held accountable."

There was voice from the computer "What are you doing, Brad? Don't do this, Brad." the computer screen was covered in words and finally the computerised voice stops and San and Fox exchange relieved looks

"Scully!" Mulder asked suddenly remembering the other agent "Where...?"

"She's alive but she's injured we need a paramedic" the lights flickered on and Mulder picked up his gun and reloaded the clip "I have to go back to her"

"Go, I've got this"

(–)

"Are you sure she'll want to see me? I feel like this was my fault" Mulder admitted "I just left her in the vent I'm the reason she's injured!"

"Oh shut up" Sam told him raising her hand to knock "Dana does not hold a grudge and if she did this would be a good way to apologise you two need to be friends. I need you two to get along."

The door opened and Dana stood in a loose button down and leggings her arm still in a sling "We brought dinner" she held up the pizza Dana shook her head at the Mulder siblings.

"You do realise that I can order food just as easily as you even with one arm?"

"Yeah but Fox feels guilty and this way we feel like we're helping you, plus we can wash up for you" there was a sound in the apartment and Dana shook her head.

"Come in, you're not the only ones with that idea."

"We're not?" the brother and sister entered and were surprised to find two women one a little like Dana with a more eclectic style young and very pretty and the other older very similar to both Dana and the new woman with an slightly more classic look to her. The smell of food filled the air and the whole ambiance of the room felt comforting and homey.

"This is my mother Maggie and my sister Missy. Mom, Missy this is my partner Sam and her brother Mulder"

"I thought your partner was Mulder" the older woman asked walking forward with a smile

"My first name is Fox, I prefer Mulder"

"Have you ever asked your parents why they called you Fox?" she persisted and he felt as though he was being told off

"No"

"Maybe you should, parents choose names for a reason. Dana for example is because of where her father and I were when we discovered I was pregnant. We were in Denmark visiting Bill's cousin and he suggested the name."

"Why Melissa?" Missy asked apparently never having wondered

"Ah that was because of the scans, the nurses said you were hiccuping but to me you seemed to be humming and when I wrote to Bill about it he said you were a little honeybee"

"And the name is honeybee in Greek" Sam joined the conversation. "I think we need to ask mom and dad about our names Samantha is normal but Fox has to have a story behind it."

"Are you two joining us for dinner? I made plenty."

Sam and Fox exchanged awkward looks but Dana grinned and took the pizza box from them "I'll have this tomorrow. You two had better come in Mom's asking but she's really telling. She won't let you go without feeding you if she thinks take out pizza is your dinner plan."

Once their coats were off Maggie offered to make drinks, Missy took Sam's arm and walked her into the kitchen asking "So what's my little sister like to work with?"

"Oh dear" Dana muttered and Fox looked at her as she frowned after the two women.

"What's wrong, are you afraid my sister's going to corrupt yours?"

"Could go either way actually" Dana shook her head "I'm more worried she'll tell her about all the dangerous things we get up to."

"They know you're an FBI agent right?"

"Yeah but I've let them believe I do a little more lab work than field work, also since working with Sam I've really had to downplay things."

"Dana Scully!" his tone was admonishing and it was cute that she looked embarrassed.

"They worry about me and Dad was really disappointed when I went into the FBI"

This confused Fox, it was not really a bad thing to work for the FBI and Dana's medical qualifications could only mean swift upward advancement in the long run "It's a good career"

"But it's not medicine, it's not saving lives."

"What about the people you put away? You save lives of future victims"

"Thank you" she smiled at him and he realised he knew very little about the woman in some ways "But I think Dad had high hopes of me being some amazing brain surgeon"

"Dana where do you keep your wine glasses?" her mother's voice called and Dana excused herself leaving Fox alone in her sitting room, it had a dining table already laid for four and had a basket of fresh rolls and a fresh salad. He wandered around the room and took in the pictures on the mantelpiece, There was a young Dana probably at age ten posing with the rest of her siblings in summer shorts and t-shirts holding up ice creams and smiling, on the other end the entire family were all in their Sunday best with Dana in a white dress a Holy Communion he guessed.

Pride of place in the centre stood a picture of her mother and a bald man with a baby in their lap. "That's Charlie's little one" The voice surprised him not because he hadn't heard her coming bit because it was Missy talking "He had a baby young right out of High School"

"Is he the only grandchild?"

"No Charlie has a couple more but none of the rest of us have reproduced. How about you? Kids? Nieces Nephews?"

"It's just Sam and me and not yet, it's something my mom regularly brings up."

"Mine too but she doesn't understand I need to find someone with the right energy for me" the phrase surprised him but as he properly took in her appearance with the crystal at the neck and what looked like a Buddhist tattoo peeking out her neckline he understood that maybe Dana wasn't the only one to defy expectations.

"I know what you mean, energy is important"

"So Fox, you have great energy" she said the name purposefully "and Sam tells me you're single"

"Uh" his face went blank and she laughed

"Oh she was right that's funny."

Closing his eyes he realised that Sam had put Missy up to this "Remind me to forget to drive her home"

"Then I'll do it, Sam and I have very similar aura's I think we could be friends."

"Missy leave him alone" Dana commanded as she exited the kitchen with a water jug "Come sit down Mulder, just grab that chair for me please" she pointed to a chair in the corner and he brought it over.

Maggie entered carrying a large lasagne that smelled like heaven whilst Sam followed with place settings for herself and Mulder. They all sat down together and Sam and Fox exchanged awkward looks as the Scully Women said a grace, they murmured Amens at the end and allowed Maggie to serve them large slices of Lasagne. "So Fox" Maggie said with a smile "Dana tells me you're in the FBI too?" And Mulder realised that no matter what, to Missy and Maggie he was going to be Fox forever.

* * *

Authors note - Hi I had Dana get injured because I wanted there to be a reason for Fox and Sam to meet the family, I really liked the other Scully women and I was going to have her father in but I thought it would be a more relaxed setting without him. In my mind the injury happened because with Sam helping her Dana came out in a different place and as the fan was still running and she didn't shoot it she had less control and fell awkwardly, sometimes a helping hand can be more trouble than it should be.

Thanks for reading and let me know any criticism.


	6. ice

I do not own the X-files or make any money from this writing

* * *

"I hate the cold" Sam was already complaining and they were still only on the airfield waiting to meet with the rest of the people that would make up the team. She bundled up in a hunter green parka coat with hat scarf and gloves her grumpy face only just peeped out so she could look around. Her trousers had been specially brought and were heavily lined and she wore more layers than was probably necessary.

"Seriously? Already?" Dana laughed up at her, she seemed very amused at Sam's reaction to everything. "You do realise that it's only just going to get colder. It's called the Arctic Core project for a reason."

"Maybe one day we'll get the warm summer beach project"

"Well you'd be on your own for that one" Scully told her "Or the office would have to reimburse me for a LOT of sunscreen."

"It's probably for the best our cases are never too hot or too cold"

"So what we're Goldilocks now?"

"I have always wondered how I'd look as a blonde." Actually she's tried it with an at home bleach kit when she was in high school and it had gone horribly wrong ending up more of an orangutan orange. Her mother had dragged her straight to the hairdresser when she'd seen it and Sam had been annoyed but a little grateful. "So come on you've had some time to think about it any other ideas?"

The case involved the Arctic Ice Core Project Team The team of scientists that made up the Arctic Ice Core Project had gone to Alaska as part of the government's Advanced Research Project Agency nearly a year ago to drill into the ice. Their work was a success, nearly completed and their contacts back home had not had any reports or indications of problems then a week later they had received a video of the team leader Richter sitting at the chair, saying 'We're not... who... we are. It goes no further than this. It stops... right here... right now.' And then he'd been attacked. Nothing more had been heard from the team since then and they were to be the first team to arrive there. Sam had decided they were being sent either because the higher ups thought they were either brilliant or expendable on being given the assignment.

"I still suspect it could be isolation distress, even the most experienced people can suffer from it but there's also a chance they suffered from an infection due to poor hygiene and have experienced delusions as a result." She then pointed to a man with headphones "Is he one of the people we're meeting?"

They waked over together in time hear the man say "Fout's is God!" he noticed them and smiled apologetically "Sorry. My team scored."

"There's no football on Wednesday." Dana sounded a little confused

Sam was just as confused as she added "And didn't Fouts retire a while ago?"

"No, this is just some of my all-time favourite plays on tape. You two F.B.I.?"

"Agent Mulder and Scully, you?" Sam held out her hand and they shook before the man turned to Dana and did likewise

"I'm Danny Murphy professor of geology at U. C. San Diego."

"You get much of a chance to study ice in Sandiego?"

"Just what's around the keg." they laughed and were soon joined by an older man and a women around their own age, the man had a trolley of equipment

"Can I assume you're Dr. DaSilva, Dr. Hodge?" Scully asked smiling politely

"Yeah, sorry we're late. " they all exchanged names and there was more handshaking when Dr Hodge asked "Can I see some identification?" seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces he added "I just want to make sure we are who we say we are."

They all held up various forms of ID, Sam and Dana using their official FBI badges and Sam taking the time to really view the ID's presented and then giving Dana a smirk as she looked from ID to face as though doubting what she sees.

"Well I guess we are all who we say we are" Sam grinned wondering why the man thought someone might try to fake their way onto this trip.

"Yeah, anybody care to take a guess as to why we're going?" Dr Hodge asked

"Well, two federal agents one of whom is a medical professional, a geologist, a medical doctor and a toxicologist. That should give us some idea what they're thinking." Sam said "Or it's the most elaborate set up for a joke I've ever seen."

"Can I assume you all took a look at the tape?" Dana asked, DaSilva and Hodge were exchanging a look that made Sam suspicious

"Something you want to share with the class?"

"Come on, you're F.B.I. You have to know more than we do." the woman asked

At that moment a long haired well built man drove up music blaring wearing a cap and sunglasses,

he walked over to them "You folks the ones going up to Icy Cape?

"That's us." Sam agreed indicating the group

"Then I'm the one flying you, my name's Bear. The plane's across the way provisions are loaded grab your gear."

"Oh, could we see some credentials?" the nervous professor didn't seem to notice the pilot's sneer curled lip.

"Credentials? The only credentials that I have is that I'm the only pilot willing to fly you up there. You don't like those credentials...? Walk!"

The man strode away and Sam catching Murphy's eye and seeing him tamping down a laugh smiled to him in recognition of the shared amusement as they collected their bags.

(m–s)

The door was not only locked but frozen shut, with brute force Bear shoved it open and they all followed in grateful to get out of the wind and all waving their flashlights around the room trying to get a look a the abandoned building. In the centre of the floor two men are lying on the ground with guns next to them. The whole facility is in darkness and it looks as though no one has cleared up in a while.

"Anyone know anything about generators?" Sam asked "I think we need to see if we can get the power started."

"I got it" Bear raised a hand and ambled off muttering "Anything to get out of here!"

"Body bags are on the plane." Hodge gave a sigh "Should have brought them with us, I don't know what else we were expecting."

"Before we touch anything, we have to document everything." Sam and Scully began to photograph the scene. "No one move anything." They moved around the room whilst Hodge and Da Silva left for the plane to get the equipment they needed. Sam opened the fridge to take pictures of what was inside and found labelled flasks inside "I guess this is what they were drilling for. Quarter of a million years melting away in just a couple of days."

Murphy arrived at her elbow "I want to preserve some samples." Sam nodded and let him take a container. Da Silva and Hodge returned as they finish documenting, they had just come through the door when there is a bang and a rumbling sound filled the air startling the blonde woman who dropped the body bags she was carrying.

"It's the generator." Sam spoke to the room but she was watching the blonde woman out of the corner of her eye who looked relieved at the statement.

The lights flickered on around them and they start to walk around the building able to see it all better now. There is a strange growling noise and suddenly Sam hear "Agent Mulder! Look out!" Spinning defensively Sam is ready as the dog springs at her, she holds her arm up the thick coat a barrier to the gnashing teeth. Soon the body is lifted off her and she sees Bear, pulling the dog off her as the rest of the team run in.

"Hold on."

The dog twists in Bears arms knocking him down and the man cried out in pain, Murphy took off his coat and threw it over the dog's head preventing the dog from biting anyone else. With urgency Hodge ran over carrying a needle and yelling for them to Hold it down! He injects the dog and the animal whimpers as he is pulled bodily away from the scene.

"Sam are you okay?"

"Yeah, he didn't break the skin. Bear, you okay?"

"He got me".

"Let me help you" Dana moved forward but the big man moved away

"Just give me the stuff, I'll do it myself."

Sam hears Da Silva ask "Is it rabies?" and she hopes it isn't, the last thing they need is for their pilot out to unable to fly. It's a selfish thought but given the situation they're in a fair one.

"I don't see any indication of glottal spasm, if it is rabies it's certainly not a strain I'm familiar with." He lifted the paw up "What's this?"

Dana came forward and inspected the discovery "Black nodules. Swollen lymph nodes."

Da Silva looked at the animal and whispered "Symptoms of the bubonic plague." The woman sounded terrified and Sam sighed wondering why they'd send someone so nervous into an obviously dangerous situation.

"I'll do a blood test, we'll take it from there." Hodge was calm in the face of his co workers fear

"This dog has got a skin irritation on it's neck." Dana touched where the dog had been biting itself

"It looks like it's been scratching off it's own hair." Murphy looked over her shoulder

"Look at this, look at this!" Sam and the others come over and there is an obvious shape moving under the skin.

"What the hell was that?" They all look at each other in confusion.

"Look we're here to find out what happened, Murphy you need to look at those samples, Dana you need to get the autopsies done..." Sam started issuing orders and she was relieved when everyone followed suit without questioning her.

(m–s)

Later they all regroup to talk about what they've learned Dana found she was having trouble making them all see thing from her perspective, except Sam but that was par for the course. Only Murphy seemed to be on her side about the organisms she's found in the blood of the dead team, even better he backs her up with his own discovery in the ice. She has to confirm that yes the men had all killed each other but she had no idea why and that was the most important thing in this case. The organism she's found is completely new and they don't know the ramifications yet, the deaths could be related and they might need quarantining. She feels like banging her head against a brick wall when Hodge has decided she's wrong.

Finally Bear had had enough of the science and broke in "Look-it, I don't see why you're squabbling over some bug. You said it yourself those men killed each other. That's it. Now I say, let's just get the hell out of here while we still can."

Hodge nodded "I agree. We can have the bodies sent to a facility where they can make a definitive diagnosis in the event that something was missed by Agent Scully."

Oh my god she was starting to understand how a group of people could go mad and kill each other "Look! If those bodies are infected with an unknown organism we can't take them back. We can't go back without proper quarantine procedures or we risk bringing back the next plague."

"Let's say you're right they came down with something. We haven't and I ain't waiting around until we do." Bear told them determined

Again Hodge agreed "I think it's safe to go back. There's no reason why we'd be infected. We've taken all the necessary biological safeguards."

Nancy quietly said "The dog did bite Bear."

"It jumped her too!" the pilot spat pointing at Samantha's

"It didn't break the skin -"

Dana stood up to her full if somewhat small height "There's only one way to proceed, Dr Hodge a good doctor eliminates every possibility. We must determine if any of us is infected."

Appealing to his scientific side seemed to have worked and Hodge finally nodded "OK parasitic diagnostic procedure requires that each of us provide a blood and a stool sample."

"A stool sample?"

Murphy looked embarrassed "Well, this kind of travel always makes that kind of tough... for me."

Bear came forward seemingly calm and then declared "I ain't dropping my cargo for no one." He threw the jar into the far wall causing Da Silva to jump "What I'm doing is getting my gear, getting my plane and flying the hell out of here."

"You can't go!" Sam called after him and he turned back using his height and build to try and intimidate the woman.

"I got hired to fly you up here and fly you back. No one said this might be part of the deal so the deal is over." he shot the words at her and then stormed away.

Dana grabbed Sam's arm "We can't let him leave without him being checked."

Nancy Da Silva scoffed at this "Who's going to stop him?" the blonde was too ineffectual and Sam ignored her

"Dana's right We can't risk infecting the rest of the population."

Da Silva shook her head "He gets on that plane, I'm gonna be on it with him."

"Look lets take a vote. Whoever believes we should confine Bear until he agrees to an examination raise your hand." Sam announced putting her own hand in the air, Dana immediately follows suit and breathed a sigh of relief when Murphy backs them up.

When Bear returned Sam approached him trying to seem unthreatening "Bear please we just want to check you out. If we don't find any trace of the parasite or the virus we just all go home."

"All right, give me the damn jar." He picked up the jar and Dana was just starting to relax when she saw his expression change

"SAM!" She is not in time and Bear breaks the jar over Sam's head, the big man starts to make a break for it. Without thinking twice Scully dove at him, Sam soon joins her and Murphy is the only one to move as he brings a rope and helps tie the man down. It takes four of them to get the man on the table and then Nancy shrieks pointing.

"Oh my god" Dana looked around making sure they all see something moving under the skin like the dog everyone seems to be sharing her fearful expression.

"Hold him" Hodge declares "Nancy get my bag" she didn't know where Sam had run off to, Dana was using most of her weight to help hold the man down and they could have used her strength. The other three of them have to hold him down whilst Hodge operates, everyone is shouting, Nancy is panicking and Hodge yells "It's killing him!" and Bear is screaming as the scalpel goes in. Hodge uses forceps to dig around and then finally he catches hold of something, he pulled removing a creature from his neck. Dana is stunned to see it's a worm and Hodge is having difficulty with it as it seems to have attached itself. Finally Bear moans and the worm is ripped out and then the big man goes limp. Hodge turned away to store the creature and the redhead began to worry that Bear was too still.

"Help me flip him" she cried not getting off the table, turning the man over they realise he's stopped breathing "Hodge! Check his eyes" Dana is already mostly on top of the man so she started CPR, Murphy and Nancy back off as Hodge shines a torch into the unconscious man's eyes "Well?" Scully asked breathlessly as she put her weight into the compressions.

"Fixed and dilated" Hodge moved back shaking his head "If we had more equipment..." he trailed off and Dana knew what he meant. Climbing off the man she dropped to the ground and ran a hand through her hair.

Sam came running back into the room "Is Bear in any condition to fly? We don't get out in an hour, we don't get out for days?"

"He's dead Sam" Dana shook her head sadly "Taking that thing out of him must've done it."

"Dana... what the hell is it?"

"God only knows"

(m–s)

The heating malfunctions raising the temperature, in no time everyone is snapping at each other even Sam and Dana find themselves arguing. Recognising that they are stressed and afraid Dana suggests that they all check each other out looking for the nodules on the skin and then for anything moving under the skin. The women and men separate and check each other over Sam made a few jokes but Dana gave her a sharp look to silence her. Thankfully no one had any nodules or anything moving under their skin and they all breathe a sigh of relief.

"Look" Sam had managed to hold onto her tenuous position as de facto leader for now and even though she could see Hodge was chafing under her command she decided that the best thing to do was pretend she had more authority than she did. "We need to examine this but we need to be careful, we also need to ready to stay awhile. We have enough supplies with us to last a couple of weeks and we don't touch anything the last team had. In fact we'll destroy anything they left behind to avoid accidental cross contamination."

"We can't stay here weeks!" Nancy's voice was at a higher pitch than usual

"I'm not suggesting we do but I am saying we have plenty of food and water should we have to."

"We certainly can't use the snow for water without filtering and testing it" Hodge agreed "I want to get on with studying what happened here. It will tell us more about what to do next."

"I will recheck the bodies" Dana offered "see if there's anything we missed?"

"Good plan Dana" Sam looked over at the geologist "Murphy is there anything more you can tell us about the ice samples?"

"I had more tests that were going to wait till we got out of here." the man put his headphones on and moved away "I'll get on with them now".

"I'm going to look at that thing we found in Bear, Da Silva if you can help me collect blood samples?" Hodge asked looking at the toxicologist "Nancy?" the woman nodded still looking nervous.

"Alright" Sam nodded to the team "And I'll get together evidence for what happened here" over the next few hours they are all distracted from their situation by work and it helps them. Tempers lower and they are all calmer, Sam is amused to see Dana and Hodge getting along well and Nancy getting a little jealous for a little while they are back to normal.

Unfortunately when they all regroup the news is not good. They sit like a council of war around a table, in the centre are two beakers of ammonia each containing a worm, they seem to try to get at each other every time the jars are close to each other so they've pulled them apart. Sam stand and runs the place like an FBI briefing asking questions and commanding her team.

"It's similar to a tapeworm in that it has a scolex with suckers and hooks." Hodge tells them "But that's all I know."

"So then it's familiar?" Murphy asked "Something we can deal with?"

"No it's a very different organism." he picked up the two jars and took them over to the freezer putting them on separate shelves. "Their behaviour is unlike anything I've heard of."

"Have you figured out how it's transmitted yet?"

"Could be anything. An exchange of fluids seems most likely but I don't know."

"When I rechecked all of the dead bodies I found they all had the creature, we only found one still alive and that barely."

"Were they in the spine like Bear?"

"No. It appears that they were in the hypothalamus gland deep in the brain, there's a chance Bear's was heading there itself."

"Hypothalamus gland, hormonal stuff right?"

"Yes it's a gland that secretes hormones although I don't know why a parasite would want to attach to it."

"The hypothalamus releases acetylcholine, which produces violent aggressive behaviour. That might be a connection everybody that's been infected certainly seems to act aggressively the Dog Bear, all the people here at the base. Maybe the worm feeds on the acetylcholine flooding our capacity to control violent behaviour."

"Surely a parasite shouldn't want to kill it's host." Scully interjected

"Maybe it doesn't kill you until it's extracted, Bear was fine until we pulled it out" it was clear Hodge regretted his actions

"So maybe the worm makes you want act violently even to kill other people which is what happened to the first team."Sam summed up "I can't find any evidence saying they had any other reason to do so."

"So you're saying that it could happen to us?" Nancy asked looking terrified.

"It's just a theory" Dana reassured her

"And five dead men" Samantha's statement earned her a harsh look from her partner "But yeah just a theory."

"If the worm makes people violently aggressive then why did Richter and Campbell kill themselves?" Dana asked "If it made them suicidal the dog is showing no signs of any harm to himself other than where it worried it's skin"

"Maybe they did it to save us." Sam looked around "The notes and the final recording seem to suggest they knew something was happening. Look I recommend we all get some sleep" Sam finally said "We can try again alter but we need sleep."

They all agree to get some rest and make their way to the bedrooms set up at the back of the base. As Dana and Sam head to the the sleeping area they don't talk much, Sam is all for studying the creature thinking is a scientific discovery and Dana does not agree preferring any destructive force they can think of so they can protect themselves and get home.

"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite." Murphy teased

"Yeah, good night." at her door Dana paused "Night Sam"

"Good night Dana."

"At least everyone's okay."

"Don't forget, the spots on the dog went away."

"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine" Dana rolled her eyes and disappeared into her room. Sam grinned to herself, inside her room she pulls a bag of gummy worms from her back and settles in knowing she probably won't sleep, she rarely does.

(m–s)

Sam awoke suddenly, she lay in the silence for a moment and then there it was again, it sounded like talking not far away. On instinct she checked her gun, then staying as quiet as she could she shoved on her shoes and coat. Picking up her flashlight she made her way along the corridor to her partners room "Dana?" Sam knocked at her partner's door, she hears a scraping noise then it opens and the bleary eyes of Scully soon met her own

"What?"

"I heard something, come with me?" a door nearby opened and Hodge looked out

"What's going on out here?"

"Sam heard a noise" Dana responded for her "We're going to investigate" She was suddenly wide awake and already pulling on her coat.

"Give me a second" Hodge went back into his room and reappeared in seconds wrapped in his coat and wearing shoes.

"It's better with three, if that thing makes people act crazy we'll need all the hands we can."

The three of them walked out into the main room and started to look around, Sam and Scully held their guns ready as they moved as one group. There was a clatter and as they walked into the lab room they discovered Da Silva forcing the body of Murphy into the Fridge, upon seeing them she jumped back looking guilty

"Nancy? What happened here?"

"He attacked me" she exclaimed pointing at the dead body "He went crazy and I just panicked"

"Nancy" Hodge looked at her with concern

"I didn't mean to" she screamed as Sam and her friend advanced on her "He was infected. He must have been!" as the two continued to approach she started to scream her innocence but in moments Sam and Hodge had her by the arms she continued to struggle fighting them.

"Dana open that door" Sam instructed struggling with the woman and between them they managed to shut her in the closet where the woman continued to scream pounding on the door as they and calling out desperately.

"Oh God" Hodge leaned against the door and then slid down to the floor looking lost "What are we going to do?"

"Well we can't properly inspect her until she calms down" Dana told him "It could be that what she says is true and she's panicking as a result. She's been nervous this whole trip and an attack might have sent her over the edge."

"Dana" Sam looked unconvinced and Dana gave her a look

"It's unlikely but if we wait till she's calmer we can try."

"We can't let her out but we need to find a way to help her." Hodge ran a hand over his face looking distressed

"I'm going to look at Murphy's body" Dana declared "If he was infected it might back up her story."

(m–s)

"Exhausted having not had a full nights sleep Dana was struggling with cutting through the skin and breaking through the bone. She'd already done four post mortems with minimal help and without the proper facilities in this place. She wondered how many more autopsies she'll have to do in this place, shaking off the thought she cut into where she'd found the worm in the others. If Nancy was infected they'd find a way to help her she was sure. What she found surprised her and in moments she was walking back into the room another flask in hand inside is a live worm just like the others.

"He was infected!"

"So Nancy's fine?" Hodge stood looking relieved

"We don't know that for sure" Sam told him "We just know that Murphy was infected. For all we know Nancy is as well and until she lets us get close to her we can't know for sure."

"And when we do examine her we need too know what we can to help if she is infected." Dana felt for Hodge but the fact was that they didn't know what was happening yet.

"How is the testing going?"

"I'm looking at how the infections happen, I've found something interesting with the blood" he pointed to the microscope it has two dead larvae in it. "I was testing blood and one of the vials broke spilling onto a slide" he took a new slight and put two separate samples of blood on them "These are both infected blood form different people" Dana looked through microscope and watches amazed as the larvae start attacking each other viciously. Suddenly they both go limp and die.

"Hodge this is amazing." Scully walked over to the freezer and moves one of the jars from the bottom shelf right next to the other one. The worms try to get at each other through the glass "Look at this, we thought they were trying to get to each other but what if they're trying to attack each other."

"Is it possible one worm will not tolerate another invading it's host." Hodge asked staring at the evidence before them

"It's very possible" Dana agreed "It does to the invader what it did to humans, it makes them kill."

"It doesn't make sense for a species to kill it's own." Sam told them, "It would surely make reproduction difficult."

"Worms are hermaphroditic. It can reproduce by itself."

"No sex?" Sam asked smirking

"No time for sex" Dana told her "Look at the evidence in the microscope." Dana was smiling now "This thing does not like company."

"So the way to kill it is to introduce another worm into the already infected body?"

"And I think I know how we can test it." They watch as dog in the cage started shaking until it grows quieter and lays down whimpering. Without waiting for the OK from anyone else Hodge opens the door and to take the dog's heartbeat with a stethoscope.

"He seems OK" Hodge ran a hand over the dog's fur, the animal seemed a little subdued compared to other dogs she'd known but Dana had to agree that the animal certainly alive and they'd found some dog food and served it up.

"I think our theory might be correct" Dana agreed as she looked at the animal "but I think we ought to keep an eye on the animal before we think about doing the same to Nancy."

"I also want to be sure she really is infected, if we put it into her and she's not."

"We need to get close enough to her to examine her and then I think we might need to re-examine each other just to be on the safe side."

"Well as I have no idea how she would have been infected as Murphy didn't bleed I think you might be right . If this thing has the ability to get in through more than just blood we will all need to check each other here and then do it again when we've left."

Sam who'd been letting the medical professionals do all the talking spoke up then "Well I did tell them we had a biological hazard so they should come with a full team to cover us." She stood and stretched "I'm going to try the radio again and see if they have a better idea of when we might be picked up"

"Good idea" when Sam had left them Hodge sighed nervously

"We might all have to go into quarantine after this is over. I'm not sure what we're going to tell people about this."

"Welcome to my world" Dana smiled at him "I've seen some strange things since I started working with Agent Mulder" Dana related what she could of the Eurisko case, it had been a very public affair and though she couldn't release certain information it was certainly interesting, Sam returned

"Still at least forty-eight hours till they can come get us" she ran a hand over her eyes "I'm going to try get some more sleep"

"Good idea" Dana agreed

"I'm going to stay awake a bit longer" Hodge told them his eyes on the dog "Just to keep an eye on him"

"OK" Dana looked at him nervously "You won't go in to see Nancy until we're all together will you?"

"No, I promise."

Scully barely felt like she's fallen asleep when there was another knock at her door, this time she pulled on her shoes and coat before grabbing her gun and pulling the dresser away from the door "Hodge?" the man held a beaker in his hand

"The dog passed these in his stool" she blinked at him and noticed that he looked haggard "Did you try to sleep at all?"

"I couldn't with Nancy locked up like that" he held up the beaker again "But look he passed the worms, dead!"

"I'm coming" Dana almost decided not to bother Sam but she was aware that although Hodge was acting normal if he changed she'd need back up and so she knocked on her door. They all trooped together down to the lab and whilst Dana and Hodge did the testing Sam said she'd go and check on Nancy. The two scientists examined the new samples and rechecked the dog who now seemed friendly and jumped up to meet them it's long tongue licking at them. To be on the safe side both avoided the tongue but petted the animal and were careful as they drew blood to test.

"He's completely clear" Scully said surprised but pleased "It looks like we've got a cure"

Hodge looked relieved and despite the exhaustion they both felt Dana knew they were invigorated by this new knowledge. "I need to know she's actually infected before I do this"

Dana took Hodge's hand "I understand, if it were Sam in there I'd feel the same way"

"She's become calm while she's in there, there's been no further attacks out here. We might all be clear."

"As Murphy was infected there's a chance she was just attacked and fought back but without more testing and more time we can't know without more."

"We need to examine her again" he agreed "If I can just talk to her let her know everything's OK."

"If she'll listen, if not we may have to sedate her in order to…" there was a crash from the other room followed by shouting. Jumping to their feet Hodge and Dana ran towards the noise Dana pulling her gun as she went. When they arrive don't he scene the door that had locked Nancy away had been forced open and Sam was rolling on the floor with Nancy fighting frantically.

"Get the worm" Hodge commanded and joined the fray, Dana did as she was told and ran out of the room, when she returned Sam and Hodge were holding Nancy down as she screamed that it wasn't what they thought.

"Come on Dana!" Sam yelled struggling with the other woman "You need to do it now."

She was lying bodily across the blonde almost flat on top of her "She must have been infected when she moved Murphy's body"

Dana was about to put the parasite in Nancy when she saw the creature moving in Sam's neck, looking up she realised Hodge had seen it too. Changing tactics straight away Hodge dropped Da Silva's arm and threw himself at the FBI agent. The worm was knocked to the ground but as Sam was fighting hard and Hodge was struggling to keep her down Dana slammed herself onto her partner holding her down. Finally letting them see her anger Sam started screaming and the two of them were struggling to hold her. Da Silva looked stunned lying on the floor, she just watched the other two as they struggled with the woman trying to get her under control.

"Nancy!" Dana tried to get her attention "Damn it Nancy! Either help hold her or get the worm."

The blonde didn't move for a little while and then with shaky hands made her way to where the forceps lay and picked up the worm as it slithered across the floor. "bring it over" Still looking bewildered Da Silva followed the instruction.

"Get over here, put it in." Hodge commanded beneath them Sam was screaming, threatening to kill everyone and it was hard to hold her still.

Once again Dana found herself bodily holding someone down either her partner was a lot stronger than Dana had thought or the organism made her stronger. As the worm went in Sam screamed and then seemed to go limp, Hodge and Dana backed away and shared a look as Nancy declared "I told you" again and again. After a few moments Hodge made his way to Nancy and pulled her into his arms, Dana wanted to snap at her that she'd still killed a man but she knew the realisation and repercussions of this would catch up to her eventually.

Hodge stroked Nancy's hair whispering "It's all right. It's all over. It all stops right here. Right now." and Sam saw him carefully examining the woman's neck without her noticing. The doctors shared a look and he nodded, on the floor Sam remained still, clutching at her cross Scully prayed as she often did in times like this, no scripted prayers just the phrase 'please let her be ok' on repeat in her mind.

(m–s)

Later on when they were picked up by a full medical biohazard team Dana almost expected to see the older Mulder show up with the team. They were all examined and Sam was placed in a containment suit and wheeled into an ambulance. Dana looked at the others before climbing inside to join her. "I'm sorry we locked you up like we did Nancy, I had no idea Sam was infected."

"It's OK, I mean it's not," The woman's smile was still very brittle "But I think this has convinced me to remain in the lab in future."

"I think it's safe to say none of us suspected Sam. She didn't act all that different." Hodge placated

"I wonder if the creature was dormant in her or if she was only infected for a short time." Dana still felt a need to defend Sam

"There were plenty of times she could have been infected without our knowledge we were apart quite often" Hodge nodded in agreement "Of course, Nancy wasn't ever infected so the parasite that entered Sam must have been the reason she busted the door open and attacked her like she did."

"I am not looking forward to calling her brother." Dana admitted "We seem to end up in hospital more than any other department. She's going to be put in quarantine along with the dog. We'll keep them both there until we're sure they aren't a risk to the rest of the population."

"I hope she recovers soon" Nancy told her "Luckily, our tests came back normal"

Dana laughed to herself "It's probably a good thing she needs care or she'd be going back to the site. There's still a lot of research to be done on that things genetic structure, it's origin..."

"Well that would be impossible didn't you know?"

"Know what?"

"You were so busy with Sam I guess you didn't hear" Hodge looked apologetic "45 minutes after they evacuated us, they torched the place. There's nothing left."

"Who was it? Do you know?"

"The military? CDC...? you ought to know. They're your people."

"Probably a good thing, like I said Sam's gonna want go right back there so maybe it's better it gets left under the ice" focussing on the other two survivors she smiled "Nancy, Hodge" they shook hands "Thank you"

"It was certainly an experience" the man said "I'd say anytime but I really don't mean it."

(m–s)

Upon landing Dana saw the tall figure of Fox Mulder with the medical staff waiting for them, he strode towards her and going ahead to meet him she felt awkward "I'm so sorry" she apologised "I didn't want to bring her back like this" To her utter surprise the man leaned down and wrapping his arms around her picked her up off the ground in a crushing embrace.

"Thank you" he muttered "I read the report, without you she wouldn't be back" sure her face was bright red Dana was relieved when he put her back on the ground and turned straight to his sister on the gurney still carefully protected from the outside world.

"Hey Sammy" he knocked on the protective glass and the young woman smiled up at her brother

"Fox? You're here?" he nodded his head

"You're going to age me you know that right?"

"Well I can't think of any other way to make you stop being a big kid" her voice was weaker than usual and softened by the barrier but her usual attitude was there and it made Dana a smile

"Shut up kid" he stuck his tongue out childishly and as the medics moved their patient on he walked with it. Knowing that her partner was now well looked after Dana left them to it. She had a lot of paperwork to do and for once she couldn't force Sam to help her.

* * *

I hope this makes sense, when I first wrote it it made zero sense but I wanted to change who got infected just a bit, so Bear Murphy and Sam were the only ones infected, in my mind Murphy was infected when no one was around and was too nervous to tell, I didn't write it because I didn't want it to be too obvious that Nancy wasn't infected. I hope that was clear.

OK so Space is the next episode but I don't think it's too important and I know it's not generally thought of as one of their best episodes. Re-watching it I see why, the story is dull and the graphics are appalling so I'll probably just put in a short paragraph to cover it then we switch to fallen angel that I think could be more fun to write.


	7. Space & Fallen Angel

I do not own the X-files or make any money from this writing

* * *

"So how was it?" Dana settled on Sam's sofa with a glass of wine, Sam was more of a beer drinker but since she started having Dana round more and more she'd stocked up on a nice couple of bottles as Dana often chose that over beer. In a change form the norm Dana had not been with Sam after the initial tip off about possible sabotage within NASA, whilst Scully had agreed that the case needed looking into when Fox had found out they were going to the international space centre it was clear he wanted to come along. With a certain level of amusement she pretended she had plans and bowed out allowing the siblings to enjoy the trip together.

"We got to stand in mission control" the excitement she'd felt was still within her "It was pretty awesome to be there for the launch. Both Fox and I were mad about astronauts and the space programme when we were younger."

"Something tells me I was right not to come along"

Sam had to agree it was more fun to get excited about the experience with someone as into space as she was. "We got to spend a lot of time in the space centre"

"I heard on TV the mission was successful despite all the problems"

"The machinery was sabotaged and there was some danger but it was so funny Dana"

"That men almost lost their lives?"

"No not that, Fox was like a teenage boy asking his crush to prom."

"Really?"

"Fox really wanted to be an astronaut when he was younger, ran around pretending he was in space with Belt on that big mission. When we actually met Colonel Belt he was all 'I'm such a fan. It's an honour to meet you you're my hero' it's the only time his suavity had failed."

"And you no doubt teased him mercilessly"

"Of course" picking up her bowl of pasta Sam tucked in "Look if I ever met one of my heroes I'd the be same but that won't stop me teasing him"

"And your heroes are?"

"David Bowie, I love him and Stephen Hawking"

"Bowie really?"

"He's a very talented man." Sam shrugged it off "How about you? Any childhood heroes?"

"Several dead ones like Elizabeth Blackwell and Edith Smith but I've always wanted to meet Mother Teresa, since I was a child my parents held her up as an example and she's an impressive woman."

"A catholic missionary dedicated to the poor and sick? I'm not surprised by that."

"How about you, any dead ones?"

"Daniel Douglas Horne" Sam could see the confusion on Dana's face "One of the most famous mediums of the Victorian era he was famous for being able to float around the room. He retired at about the same time photography was becoming prevalent so there are no photos of the a man ever in action only artist representation's to what they saw occurring and of course they aren't really trustworthy."

"He sure picked a good time to retire then didn't he?"

"I hear that note in your voice Dr Scully" Sam smirked as Dana tried to look innocent "I know there's a chance he used a low level of hypnotism to make people think they'd seen what he wanted them to but that doesn't mean there isn't a chance it really happened. If I ever discover a time machine he's my first point of call."

"Alright I'll agree to that, so the Colonel? What does Mulder think happened?"

"He agrees with me, that something happened to the colonel out there, more than that he thinks the colonel realised what he was doing and sent the images himself to try and get those men safely home. Maybe he was hypnotised, or infected or something like that"

"What could he have been infected with?"

"I don't know, they won't release his body so that you can autopsy it so we'll probably never know. Another mystery unsolved."

"Another X-file"

(–)

The contact from Deep throat always confused Sam, the man was so determined to remain hidden and yet was so desperate to help her. She needed him for information but he clearly needed her to do the investigating, she hadn't told Scully much about her 'Source' and given the last time she'd had help from him she'd ended up sort of mind washed she didn't really want to tell her about the meeting until she had to. She looked over the paper he had given her telling her about the train accident that had happened in Wisconsin. What she had in her hands told of a toxic cargo that was causing the immediate evacuation of 12,000 residents.

"Then what happened out there if it wasn't a train wreck?"

"Ms Mulder the continental United States is surrounded by an electronic fence that reaches 15,000 miles into space. We use it to track and monitor the 7,087 man-made objects that orbit the earth. Last night at 23-17 that fence was breached."

"And this is the cover story?"

"This morning at 0100 Operation Falcon went into effect it's led by one Colonel Calvin Henderson the Air Force's premiere reclamations expert."

"Reclamations?"

"During the cold war his job was to prevent technologies from downed US aircraft from getting into Soviet hands."

Sam nodded finally understanding "He's part of a craft retrieval unit." She guessed it wasn't the type of craft they were used to retrieving.

"Mm Hmm. They're known for their skills and quick response. I'd say you have around 24 Hours before the entire area is sanitized and after that it will be like nothing has happened."

(-)

Getting to Wisconsin and finding the site of the crash was easy, there were news crews and soldiers everywhere. Sam moved unobtrusively through the town managing to stay out of the way of the uniformed men, upon finding a truck being loaded she looked around and discovering no one watching her ducked underneath. After several minutes of driving over rough terrain they stopped and the soldiers who had piled in whilst she'd hidden underneath began to get down. She could hear them talking and over heard that they were using live rounds, she would have to be careful not to let herself get seen. It was dark when she crawled out from under the vehicle and moved stealthily into the forest. Through the dark trees Sam sees light in distance, changing direction she walked towards it crouching down low. There were men yelling and strange noises on the air and soon Sam was upon the crash site, it was lit with big white lights and men patrolling in protective gear. Pulling out her camera she starts documenting taking photos of the scene, it's going to take hard evidence to convince people that this isn't the normal crash currently being reported and for once she is determined to have it. There is a sound from behind her, before she can look around her arm is grabbed and is roughly pulled up to standing "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Would you believe I'm a lost birdwatcher?"

Arm twisted painfully behind her back she was led inside a tent that was obviously the headquarters for the teams in place, Sam was thrust into a chair while her captor walked up to an imposing figure at the other end of the tent. Behind her two men with guns stood preventing her from even thinking about attempting an escape.

Finally the man in charge headed her way a grim expression on his face "You just made the worst mistake of your life, Agent Mulder." Sam guessed this was Colonel Henderson.

"I'm pretty sure I've done stupider things in my life, ask my mom it's a long list."

Obviously the man had no sense of humour "I'll see to it you that pay the price for putting my men at risk."

"Since when does taking pictures put anyone's life at risk?"

"You violated a US government quarantine and that is a federal crime."

"That's a quarantine? Is that what you call this?" She scoffed folding her arms

"We're trying to contain an ecological disaster."

"That's a lot of firepower just to protect mother nature."

"I have my orders and a license to execute them as a I see fit. If you want to live a long life I suggest you forget what you think you saw."

"You've got a downed craft in those woods," Sam attempted to stand but a hand clamped down on her shoulder forcing her back into the chair "sir and troops carrying live rounds! We both know there's more out there!"

"I don't want to look at her any more" the Colonel signalled his men and Sam found herself being carted into a dark building and thrown into a what looked like a dog shelter repurposed into a brig.

Inside the cell she sat on the bunk that was the only thing in the cell and sighed "Fox is going to kill me" a movement in the next cell made her look over.

"Are you MUFON or CUFOS?" In the other cell a man approaches the chain link fence he was wearing a baseball cap backwards atop long blonde hair, and glasses

"Uh, neither?" she sounded unsure and it was embarrassing

"Let me guess you're with that new group CSICOP right?" Not sure what to do with that Sam shrugged and the man held up his hands "Um, say no more you're cautious, I get it trust no one. Very wise. After what happened to JFK I understand completely, let me introduce myself. My name is Max Fenig I'm with the National Investigative Committee of Arial Phenomenon...NICAP" he lifted up his hands and turned around his hat to display the initials "Pleased. to make you're acquaintance, normally we'd shake on it you know. Firm grip, look you right in the eye. You learn a lot about a person that way uh... Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Did you see anything? Did you get close? Me, I saw nothing." he turned to shout loudly to anyone who may be listening "I said I didn't see anything!" he shrugged at Sam "Hundred yards past the road block they nailed me and I have no idea how they did it. I'm telling you its like the Roswell cover up all over again."

"What makes you so sure that something's out there?" Sam asked finally warming up the man who was obviously in tune with her own thinking.

"Probably the same thing that makes you so sure."

(–)

The next morning as she lay on the bunk Sam was awoken from her doze but a door opening and light spilling in, upon seeing the short feminine figure she sat up "Oh thank God it's you Dana" Sam breathed a sigh of relief "I was worried Fox was going to be the one…" she trailed off as a taller shadow filled the doorway "Oh Damn" her brother marched to her cage with a thunderous expression and she wondered briefly if it might be safer to stay in here until the storm was over

"What the hell do you think you were doing Sam?"

"You just had to bring him along" Sam moaned looking at her partner

"You think they didn't call me? I was looking for you when I got the call, I brought Dana with me."

"I was hoping to neutralise the coming argument" Dana didn't sound too hopeful and Sam wondered what the journey had been like "But just in case I can't I brought popcorn." she shook a bag with an amused smile.

"You could have been killed, you had no idea what you were walking into!"

"Did you meet Max?" she decided it would be best to change the subject

"Who?"

"Max from NICAP." she turned to the other cell "Oh, they must have released him, Just an intrepid soul in search of a close encounter like myself."

"Is that what this is about?"

"What else?"

"Try explaining that to Section Chief McGrath! He stepped over Blevins ordering a full inquiry Samantha he wants to shut down the X-files. And he wants you out of the bureau and with this behaviour he might get his way no matter how much You've done for the FBI."

"So what else is new?"

"I don't understand you Sam! You're always defying protocol, ignoring jurisdiction! You don't even attempt to conform to what they want so that you can fly under the radar."

"Because I know what I saw! There weren't train tracks anywhere near that site how could it have been a derailed container?"

"Because it wasn't." Dana cut into the argument "What you saw was not a toxic spill. But it wasn't a UFO either."

"OK. I'm all ears. What was it?"

"It was a downed Libyan jet with a nuclear warhead." she explained "It was over US air space and they'd been picking up low grade levels of radiation indicating that a plutonium casing may have cracked. They made up the train story to avoid mass panic!"

Looking at her brother Sam smirked "Really Fox? You really believe that story..?"

"Whether I believe it or not doesn't matter, damn it Sam you just had to walk in not thinking about your job, your reputation, your life!"

Dana looked at the two of them and said "That information was given to us despite it being highly classified"

"A highly classified lie I've heard choppers going over periodically all night and morning. They're searching for someone Dana."

"If they're searching for anyone, its probably the pilot."

"All this for one Libyan fighter?"

"Like they said they don't want to cause panic"

"I'm telling you now no human walked away from the wreckage I saw out there."

"I don't have time for this" Dana stopped what was likely to become an argument between all three of them "Sam, the hearing is tomorrow morning at ten o'clock."

"That gives us 24 hours to investigate."

(–)

The three of them argued all the way back to Sam's motel, both Dana and Fox agreed that Sam should head back for the hearing straight away but disagreed on what was happening on the woods in Wisconsin. When they got back to her room things weren't any more settled and the door opened to a room that had clearly been tossed, clothing and paperwork was spilled over the floor. All three immediately pulled their guns and got ready to clear the space

"What's going on?" Dana asked confused at what she was seeing "Who did this?"

"You usually leave the place a mess and it looks like housekeeping hasn't been here yet." Fox teased his sister.

There was a noise from the bathroom and all three advanced as one unit, once inside the bathroom they find the legs of a man as he tries to escape through the bathroom window. Fox walked forward and grabbed the man's belt and yanked the man back into the room, Sam helped catch the man as he tried to escape "Max?"

"You know this guy Sam?" Fox asked keeping a firm grip on their struggling prisoner

"My apologies. Forgive me please. I'm a curious man. I had to know.."

"Know what?"

"If it was really you, and it is, all of you." he looked around at them all

"But you didn't know me." Sam argued "Last night was the first time you laid eyes on me."

"Not true. We at NICAP have been following your career really closely. Ever since you became involved with the X-files."

"Following my career? How?"

"Through the Freedom of Information Act your travel expenses are a matter of public record. So, this must be your brother and writer extraordinaire Fox Mulder, and also the enigmatic Agent Scully."

"Enigmatic" Sam teased her partner before a she turned on Max "But what do you mean writer extraordinaire Fox Mulder?"

"Well his series of articles in Omni about the Gulf Breeze sightings were really well received and there have been more based on other unexplained events."

Scully found it hard not to laugh at Fox's blush and coy smile "I've never" he denied whilst Sam's shocked expression seemed fixed on her face.

"M.F. Luder? I couldn't think of a more obvious anagram for F. Mulder. You really didn't think that would fool us did you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Mulder continued to deny looking at anyone but his sister

"You fink!" Sam exclaimed grinning a little about the revelation "All this time you tell me to be more careful, to keep my head down and you're doing this?"

"It's all done under a pseudonym I didn't realise anyone would notice." He admitted "And besides most people are completely unaware of those articles"

"Someone's always paying attention" Max told him with a smile

"Are the guys helping you with this?" Sam accused "Do they know about this?"

"Lets not get into it right now" Mulder argued "We've got bigger problems to deal with"

"This Is Amazing!"

"You want to see something amazing?" Max asked "Come with me."

Inside the man's trailer Max begins to search around in the mess and Scully took the time to look around, she overheard the other three talking about Crop circles and weather effects. Leaving them to it Dana took the time to look at the man's belongings with a cynical eye. It was a messy way to live and she soon noticed medication all lined up, there are several bottles all prescription and she makes note of the names recognising drugs for schizophrenia.

"Max! You said you had something to show us." Fox speaks loudly bringing her attention back to the others.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is the Wolf Ear 2000 you ever hear of this?"

"Of course Wolf Industries supplied the CIA with all of its surveillance equipment."

"State of the art, search and intercept. Up to 100 channels per second. Currently I'm jacked into local fire and police departments, cellular pathways, and when the weather's right sometimes even air traffic control from Whitmarsh Air Force Base." he seemed to pick up on their impatience "Listen" he pressed a button

_"We got a fire of county road D7. Two miles west of the canyon ridge intersection. Suggest we dispatch fire crews, over? This is Deputy Wright. Do you copy?"_

"And this was 35 minutes later. Presumably from the fire crew. Reception got wiggy for some reason."

_This is unit 53. Man down. Request medivac. I said request medivac! You're breaking up!  
_

_Very. Bad. VERY bad. Wait a second. What the hell? Charlie, we've got a situation here!  
_

Dana recognised the looks on the Mulder siblings face's and shook her head "No, no! We cannot investigate this."

"Look you need to go back if you want to save the X-files, Dana and I can stay behind and look into this" he ignored the look Dana was giving him as she was obviously letting her face say she was not happy at him for volunteering her for the job.

"I can't go back" Sam protested "Even if I do there is no guarantee they won't use this to close the X-Files down." She then turned on her brother "And don't pretend for one moment that you staying here won't damage your chance for the promotion I know you're up for."

"It's not a promotion, it's just leading a task force, there'll be others."

"Both of you go" Dana spoke decisively "Sam you need to do everything you can to keep your job and Mulder you were furious about missing on out on that taskforce. It's almost all you talked about on the plane. There is no reason for me to go, my only role here was making sure you went back and if it'll get you there in time for the hearing I will stay and investigate." Dana could see in her friend's eyes that she wanted to refuse, it should have offended Dana that her partner would not trust her to follow the case through but in some ways she understood. Dana was less determined in some ways and definitely less likely to look at the extreme options. "Look what would be your next move?" she didn't let her continued "You'd want us to learn more about the victims right?"

"It would be where I start"

"So if I said I'd try talk to the families or doctors of the injured men?" Dana suggested

"That's what I would do as well" Sam admitted and finally nodded at her friend "OK we'll head back to DC but as soon as I'm done I'm coming back here"

(–)

Much as she didn't think there was anything to investigate Dana made her way to where the deceased deputy's family were staying in a temporary shelter but they sent her away terrified so she headed on to the hospital to learn more, Doctor Oppenheim was the man in charge but he wasn't willing to talk really either. "I'm sorry, but unless you have a subpoena I can't discuss patient information."

"Does that mean Jason Wright was your patient?" Dana persisted following the man as he walked away.

"It means I have nothing more to say about this."

"Look doctor forget that I'm an agent" she begged knowing that if Sam or Fox were here they'd say a provocative or confrontational statement but that wasn't something she was skilled at "What about his wife and child? His wife was terrified like she'd been threatened, did they hold something over your head too?"

"I hate fascists." the man muttered suddenly surprising Dana "The men who came in here. The way they pushed us all around."

"Dr. Oppenheim please tell me about the deputy. You saw him didn't you?"

"Yes. And three others from the fire crew. They were all DOA with 5th and 6th degree burns over 90 percent of their bodies. Although they weren't like any burns I've ever seen. And they took the bodies away before we could perform any pathologies."

"Did you note any cadaver acute heat rigour or heat stiffening?"

"Yes, actually there was quite a bit of heat inflection in the limbs. How do you know so much about it?"

"I'm a fully licensed medical Doctor. Please in your opinion could those burns have been caused by ionizing radiation?"

"Well, I hadn't thought...I suppose its possible. If the exposure was significantly intense."

"Lets say those men died from radiation exposure. Could it have been from the cracked core of a nuclear warhead?"

"Is that what you think is happening here?" his expression was concerned

"I don't know" Dana shook her head "I feel like I'm being run around, pushed from pillar to post in an effort to keep me from discovering the truth" Dana almost laughed, she sounded like Sam. "Look I just..."

There was a sudden commotion as men in military uniform were brought in on stretchers, there was noise everywhere and all the men had severe burns and were writhing in agony. The colonel followed them in and glared at Scully as he passed Soon the ER is full and the medical personnel are moving around frantically, instructions are yelled.

"Start an IV here stat." Dana followed the doctor as he looked over a patient

"Tell us what happened out there?" she demanded of the Colonel

"Whatever happened Agent Scully, it has nothing to do with you." he glared at her "I don't know why you're still here but if you aren't out of here in the next minute."

"Agent Scully stays right here." Dr Oppenheim interrupted "We're under-manned and she's a medical doctor. She stays... if that's OK with you?" he changed his tune as he turned back to her.

The call of people in need was never something she'd been able to walk away from and she nodded "Of course."

The Colonel tried to stare the doctor down "If you don't mind, you just take care of my men, and let me do my work, OK?"

It didn't work, standing up to his full height Oppenheim refused to be beaten down "Outside this emergency room, you can do whatever you want, But in here I call the shots. Assuming of course, you want me to take care of your men."

Fighting a smile at the testosterone competition Dana simply said "I'll scrub up."

(–)

Back at the motel after putting in an exhausting shift at the hospital Dana set her alarm, she only had time for a short nap if she wanted to catch her flight out. They'd lost a lot of people and she was pretty sure they'd lose the rest in a very short time, she was in the shower when she heard the phone ringing, she ignored it knowing that it was likely Sam wanting to know what was going on but she desperately needed to finish washing off the grime that she felt covered every inch of her. She was just getting out when the room phone rang again and this time she walked to the phone and picked it up "Dana Scully"

"Finally, I've been trying your mobile for hours and your room phone almost as long. Where have you been?"

"Hi Dana, how are you?" she corrected sarcastically feeling pissed off

"Sorry, I was worried"

"I was at the hospital, they needed help, it was bad." On the other end of the phone Sam was quiet, Dana wondered if her tone of voice had silenced the other woman "The family of the sheriff have been silenced but I was questioning a doctor who had also been threatened but was more willing to talk when they brought in more victims. I pulled a seven hour shift to help but I feel like we barely scratched the surface." Laying a towel over her pillow so she could lie down without her hair soaking it Dana got herself comfortable "It was terrible. We lost all but two. And they're still in critical condition on their way to the burn unit at John's Hopkins."

"So what do you think, Scully? What's going on out there?"

"Honestly I'm too tired to even think about it. How's it going your end?"

"Not sure yet, I've reported that I'm back, they asked about you but I said there wasn't a seat on the plane which was actually true there were only two free seats when Fox and I got there."

"Well when they ask again tell them there's a medical emergency and I've been helping at the local hospital it's also the truth."

"Look I've been thinking about this whole thing, it seems strange to me that Max just happened to be there when all this occurred, I spoke to him after you left us and I think he was an abductee."

Dana closed her eyes fighting sleep as she responded "Look just because a man thinks he was abducted by aliens…"

"No" Sam interrupted her "He didn't say it, I did."

"You didn't see all the medications he's on, he's clearly mentally unstable"

"I think the whole thing is not a coincidence, I think they're there for Max."

"Look I am about a minute from completely zonking out Sam, let me sleep and I promise tomorrow before I head to the hospital I will call on Max"

"You're going back to the hospital?"

"Of course"

"I just thought you might be flying back."

"If more victims come in I might be needed." Dana prayed internally that there wouldn't be not only because of the loss of life but because she would rather head home and take a long soak in her bathtub and sleep in her own bed. Not that this one wasn't frightening inviting right now she snuggled further into the pillow.

"Ok Dana, but really Talk to Max, don't just dismiss him… Dana?" forcing her eyes open Dana muttered a quick 'sure thing' that sounded very muffled even to her own ears and then dropping the phone back on the hook she rolled over still clad in her towel and pulled the other side of the blanket over herself before she fell asleep.

(–)

It felt like she's barely slept and as Dana looked at the clock she realised that she hadn't, her alarm set for four hours after she went to sleep had given her only those four hours and she had a lot to do today. Getting herself repacked and something to eat she travelled to the hospital she was relieved to be found surplus to requirement. The two remaining patients had moved on to John Hopkins as planned and all the bodies, paperwork and samples had been taken away.

In the hospital it was almost as if it hadn't happened, Doctor Oppenheimer was apparently sleeping in an on call room so Dana merely asked for someone to pass on a message that she was heading home and goodbye before she went along to her next stop. Knocking on the door of Max's home and calling his name she had no answer, she was tempted to just head off. She was booked on a flight in just over two hours' time and she really didn't want to miss it. Looking around she tested the door and found it open, inside the RV Dana moved slowly until she spotted the drops of blood in the pillow "Max?" She called out again knowing it was likely to be useless, as she stood the scanner sprang to life and she listened carefully.

_Repeat...patrol reporting unidentified trespasser at the waterfront. _

_This is Henderson. Move on target_

It was likely Max was there and without thinking twice she threw herself out of the RV and into her car. As she drove she pulled out her phone dialling Sam, there was no answer and she wondered if that was for the best after all the woman needed to think about the hearing and nothing else. She didn't like going in without backup but she couldn't afford to have Sam dropping everything to fly out for Max. Dialling a different number she was relieved when the phone was answered "Mulder listen I don't have a lot of time"

"Scully?" the man sounded surprised but she didn't stop

"I was in Max's van and heard something on the scanner, I'm heading to the waterfront I think Max is in danger."

"What sort of danger?"

"I don't know, there was blood on his floor but I think the soldiers are after him for some reason. I can't just let him be taken by these men. He's medically not well and I have a duty to help"

"Are you on your own?"

"Yeah, I don't have anyone here I can ask for help, I just needed to report this in to someone in case..." she didn't say more, whether Sam's paranoia was rubbing off or that case in Idaho where she had literally had a hostage exchange on her hands was making her nervous she didn't know but she felt better knowing that someone knew what was going on.

"Look Scully you will be careful won't you?"

"Of course, I better go"

"Yeah" he sounded like he didn't want to hang up and she smiled

"I'll call as soon as I can to let you know what's happening" she promised and hung up.

The drive was short and soon she had arrived at a dockyard, driving down she soon found what looked like an abandoned jeep, when she got close enough she saw smoke, parking she got out and found two bodies. Just looking at them her medical training and knowledge of how the other's had suffered told her it was too late and even if it wasn't there was no way she could really do more than call an ambulance for this but she still checked the men over. Neither were breathing, their pulses were non-existent and their eyes were dilated. Standing she looked around calling out to Max, soon enough there was a cry almost like someone in pain. Pulling her gun she ran to the sound, inside a nearby warehouse Max was writhing on the floor crying out.

Arriving at his side she took his hand "Max?" he was murmuring about danger, about fear, about pain and it was all she could to examine him. He looked at her and she tried to smile reassuringly but he wasn't paying her any real attention. She tried to calm him down, tried to discover where the pain was coming from but soon there was a noise outside and she knew that the soldiers were here.

"Max" she tried to grab his attention but he lashed out striking her on the temple "Stop" she fought him but he was panicking and hit her again "Stay here" she instructed realising that in order to stop this man from doing damage to himself and others she needed to get someone else to help hold him down. The commander was not a good or easy man but once he saw that it was just one man suffering delusions she was sure he would help her to hold him down and get him help, well maybe someone would.

She was heading for the door when there was a sudden flash of light and she found herself being sent crashing into the boxes on her side hitting her head and falling to the ground. Drowsy she called out to Max again and crawled back to where she had left him and froze. Surrounded by bright light Max was suspended in mid-air shaking "Max" she whispered moving forward only to feel a force pushing her back to the ground. She stared in amazement until finally there was another flash of light and nothing, blinking Scully felt herself become dizzier the repeated blows to her head catching her up as soldiers swarmed in. Someone grabbed her by her collar his face blurred and his voice too loud asking in a demanding tone what had happened but she gave up the fight letting her eyes roll back and falling into the welcoming darkness.

(–)

"Will there be any lasting effects, radiation anything like that?" As soon as her case had been made and punishment administered Sam had flown back arriving to the news that Scully was unconscious, Dr Oppenheimer had welcomed her and had apparently taken an active part in Dana's care

"No not that we can find, maybe she didn't get close enough to whatever was hurting the others." The doctor was very concerned and Sam smirked at the man's obvious interest in her friend. Pretty red headed doctors who could kick ass obviously didn't show up often in this man's life very often, actually thinking about it Sam wondered how often they showed up in anyone's

"When can she fly back do you think?"

"Well as soon as she wakes up we'll want to get her scanned so we can make sure there's no permanent damage. I think the concussion mixed with exhaustion is the reason she was unconscious so long. It wasn't long after she left here that she came back in."

"Hey she's waking up again" Sam leaned over her friend "Dana?"

The blue eyes were alarmed as she took in the view around her "Max?" she queried "I was with him" screwing up her face she tried to remember"I don't know what happened."

"You hit your head pretty badly" Sam reassured her "I'm sure it will come back" she looked over at the doctor "She will remember right?"

"There's a chance" Dr Oppenheim came forward and smiled at his patient "How are you feeling Dr Scully?"

"I'm fine" it was an instinctive reassurance and Sam was sure the doctor realised this as well as he sat her up and put a blu-light to Scully's eyes checking her over. He was attentive and when he eventually left Sam was going to tease her friend when she realised that Scully was more upset than she realised. "Max?"

"I don't know, they say he probably took you hostage and hit you, I know it's not true" Sam reassured her as Scully made to argue "But they have decided that's the official story and apparently they found his body a little way away."

"His Body?"

"Yeah. I asked if you could do the autopsy but they said no."

"I should have stayed with him" Dana said quietly and Sam stared at her in amazement

"What?"

"I was leaving him, to get help. whatever happened to him, whatever was going on he needed help, I'm a medical professional and a federal agent." the red head was living up to her hair colour as she remonstrated herself "I should have stayed with him till the very end. Maybe he wouldn't have just disappeared if I had of course Lord only knows where he is now. There was no way out of the building and what I think I saw makes no sense." she lay heavily back onto the pillow with a sigh.

"You did the right thing leaving" Sam reassured her desperate to ask what Scully meant but realising that her friend needed rest

"I still feel responsible; I'm surprised there were no repercussions, my excuse that I had heard there was another attack and possibly patients needing help seems a little unlikely."

"I think between us we've scraped though this rather well, the X-files aren't going to close and neither of us are being punished, well I have a month off without pay but I prefer to think of it as extra holiday time."

"So they haven't taken advantage of the situation and closed us down"

"Nope" Sam shook her head "my returning like a good little girl when I was told to has been recognised and they're saying your help in the hospital was invaluable so we're just clear."

"Really?"

"Dr Oppenheim even contacted the office in DC to commend you, I'm glad he did, it certainly worked in our favour" Sam told her but she didn't feel convinced that it was her obedience or Scully's selfless heroism that saved their department "Dana I think that what happened to Max was unpreventable. I truly think he was taken again and maybe one day he'll show up from wherever he went."

"Well I hope we'll see him again one day"

"Are you agreeing with me?" Sam asked smiling, she felt surprised at Dana's statement "What happened in there?"

"Look I don't agree that Max was abducted by aliens but something weird happened out there and I'm not just going to forget about it."

"I've never been more proud!"

* * *

Apologies for the wait to my like five readers :) but work had been very busy and you know what this fanfiction thing doesn't pay so sometimes it takes a back seat to life.


	8. Eve

I do not own the X-files or make any money from this writing

* * *

"Pop quiz!" it was the first thing Sam said as her partner entered the office that morning, Dana stared at her not really in the mood for questions before she'd even had time to take her coat off

"No." she held up a hand "No pop quiz just tell me about the case."

"Oh Come on" Sam argued but Dana held up the bag she'd brought with her

"I have donuts, if you want one then no pop quiz."

"I do want a donut, OK" she held out her hand and when the sweet dough was in her hand carried on "Since 1967, over 34 states have reported unsolved cases of cattle mutilations. Trace evidence is remarkably similar, incision marks of surgical precision the area around the mouth, often the sexual organs have been removed and there's a substantial degree of blood loss but not a trace of blood at the scene."

"We're investigating cow murders?"

"No we are investigating this" ripping into the donut with her teeth Sam moved over to the light switch and turned it off, next she switched on the projector "Joel Simmons 43 years old, widower the wife died of ovarian cancer, single father death by hypovolemia 95% blood loss"

"That's over 4 litres of blood." Dana was stunned and moved needing to see the picture closer "If this is where he died how is there not blood all around him?"

"The man's daughter, only 8 years old was away from his side for no more than 10 minutes from what we can tell. She doesn't remember anything and there was no trace evidence found at the crime scene." she finished the pastry and smiled as Dana offered her another "Thank you, had there been any evidence it would have be washed away by yesterday's rain."

"There were two small puncture wounds." Dana pointed to the marks "Exsanguination is easier than you'd think if you were to stick a needle into the jugular of any living creature, the heart itself would act as a pump."

"Ghoulish"

"Far as I can make out there's no sign of a struggle how could a man just sit through a blood letting?"

"The ME found traces of digitalis, could that do it?"

"Definitely, its a South American plant that's easy to find and produce and can be used as a paralytic drug." Dana picked up the cattle mutilation files and frowned "Wait a minute, these files indicate UFO related phenomena" she looked at Sam with an accusing expression.

"The witnesses often relate time loss it might explain why the girl can't remember anything and how she was gone ten minutes and all this happened."

"Samanatha why would alien beings travel light years through space in order to play doctor on cattle?"

"Maybe the same reason years ago we travelled far away to find new breeds of insects only to pull them apart or put a pin through their heads. Or for the same reason we cut up frogs and experiment on animals"

"They're worried their make up might cause a bad reaction?" Dana teased and Sam couldn't help but smile

"Perhaps" it was a good point, maybe aliens really did see them as rats in maze ready to further their own scientific work "but it looks like they've gone onto bigger and better things."

(m-s)

Getting to see Teena was their first port of call, the girl was quiet holding tightly onto a stuffed bunny, she was a rather plain child but her eyes were piercing as she stared up at them.

"Hi." Dana started crouching down to look at her as Sam stood awkwardly to the side, she could tell her partner didn't feel up to taking the lead here "My names Dana this is my partner Sam" she turned back to look at Sam who gave an clumsy wave "I know you must be feeling really sad right now maybe a bit scared but it's our job to find out what happened to your daddy so we can help stop whoever hurt your daddy. Okay?" the little girl gave a nod "Okay. Now I'm going to ask you a few questions, did you ever see any strangers with your daddy? Anyone you don't know?" the girl shook her head "Did you ever see... anyone yelling at your daddy or your daddy yell at them?"

"No." finally the little girl spoke and Dana smiled at her encouragingly.

"Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt your daddy? Anyone he was worried about?"

"No."

"Can we talk about what happened that day? About what happened in the back yard?"

"Yeah?" Sam finally joined in the questioning "Do you remember... any strange sounds or lights or anything like that?"

"There was the Red Lightening."

"Ok, ok" Sam nodded "Can you tell me more about the Red Lightening?"

"I can't remember... it all went dark."

"Had you ever seen anything like that before?" The little girl nodded and Sam looked over at Dana, she gave her a warning look trying to convey in the look that she shouldn't get too excited over this revelation "Yeah? When?"

"The men from the clouds, they were after my dad."

Dana's phone rang and with an apologetic gesture she moved away to answer it keeping half an ear open for what was being said "Scully"

"_Agent Scully there's been another murder exactly like the one you and Agent Mulder are already investigating, the method of death is identical"_

"Really where?" as she listened to the response she heard Teena say the words 'They wanted to exsanguinate him' and shared a surprised look with her partner at the long word. She hung up on her call and turned to see that Sam had finished questioning the little girl. As Sam turned to join her Dana spoke in a low voice not wanting the little girl to hear "There's been another one"

"Another one?"

"Exactly the same and Sam according to Pacific Standard time these two identical murders happened simultaneously."

"What are the chances someone saw red thunder?"

The journey to California is filled with the two of them looking over the paperwork, the two cases are uncanny, same cause of death, traces of the poison digitalis, puncture wounds on the jugular and the man's only child was a daughter who had been present at the time. Scully was of the opinion that they had two serial killers working in tandem but Sam disagreed as serial killers seldom work in pairs. They also received the news that during the night someone had taken Teena, they had teams searching for her When they pulled up outside the house it was scarily similar, the same style of house, neighbourhood and it even had a swing set in the back garden. "This is eerie"

"How so?"

"It all seems so calm" Sam knocked on the door and when it opened neither agent knew what to say. standing there is a little girl that looks exactly like the one they had left behind

"Teena?"

"Who?"

"I'm sorry what's your name?" Dana asked very confused

"Cindy Reardon."

"And you live here, Cindy?" Sam followed up

"Ever since I was born, 8 years ago."

"OK Cindy I think we need to speak to your mother."

Mrs Reardon was a motherly woman who was clearly completely thrown by the situation she now found herself in. She sat her daughter down in front of the TV with a fond kiss on the head before turning to talk to the FBI agents

"Doug and I wanted to spoil her we wanted to protect her from everything horrible in the world. She was such a daddy's little girl." she was crying as she spoke not looking at the agents as she struggled with her emotions. Dana glared at Sam who indicated that she should start the questioning, there was a short silent fight between the two women until finally Dana spoke up.

"Can we ask was Cindy adopted?"

"No. I gave birth to her at San-Rafael General."

"Can I ask if you have all the proper documentation?"

"Of course I do." the woman was clearly offended and Sam broke in with another possible question

"Was she the only child delivered at that birth?"

"What the hell kind of question is that? Look, I have told the police everything I know."

Sam pulled out the photo she had of Teena with her father "Mrs. Reardon, have you ever seen this man before?"

"Is this your suspect?" She started to get angry now "How did he get this picture with my daughter, did he do something to Cindy?"

"No. Mrs. Reardon. This is not your daughter, this is a girl named Teena Simmons. She lives 3,000 miles away in Connecticut and that man is her father. He was killed in the same manner as your husband.

"Cindy is my daughter. I can show you videos of her birth we tried for six years to become pregnant."

"Did you seek help, donor's invitro fertilization?"

"Yes, at the Luther Stapes Centre down in San Francisco."

They agreed to split up with Sam staying watch at the house and with Scully went to talk to the centre where she learned that Mr and Mrs Simmons had also gone for treatment during their own fertility problems. After being told a patient could not have received another persons eggs without their knowledge she soon learned about Dr Sally Kendrick. She was the supervising physician in both the Reardon's and Simmons' IVF program and it was clear she was experimenting at the clinic which changed the entire perspective of both agents on the case..

(m–s)

That night while she was talking to Scully Sam received a call from the man she had come to know as Deep Throat and needed to make a quick trip out. It was clear that her partner was suspicious of her behaviour but she couldn't tell her the truth and didn't want to miss the chance to see her contact. She walked to the waterfront and tried to look as invisible as possible as she walked down the path sticking her hands in her pockets and looking around as she walked by some bushes and hears a voice.

"Are you certain she hasn't followed you?"

"Yes. What are you doing out here?"

The old man came out of his hiding place and casually they walk along "I was hoping we could take in a Warriors game." Sam rolled her eyes and glared a little "Actually I was just in the neighbourhood and wondered if I ever told you about the Lichfield Experiments?" he made it sound as though the two of them regularly sat down to chat over coffee.

"No... no you haven't."

"It was the most interesting project. Highest level of classification. All records have since been destroyed and those who knew of it will deny knowledge of its existence for all time. It existed during the height of the cold war we got wind the Russians were fooling around with Eugenics. Their experiments were rather primitive trying to cross breed top scientists, athletes... to come up with the superior soldier. Naturally, we jumped on the band wagon."

"What did you create?"

"A group of genetically controlled children raised and monitored on a compound in Lichfield. The boys were called Adam and the girls were called Eve there's a woman currently being held in Whiting institute for the criminally insane who is the 'last known living' Eve. If you were to look into it you would soon discover that there were at least two others unaccounted for. I can make sure you get in but what you learn will cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people."

The next day Sam and Scully deposit their guns with security and are handed flash lights after being warned that the regular lights would cause a break down. The cell is dirty with garbage dropped on the floor and stained padded walls.

Sam walked in with confidence"Hello?" There is a woman crouching in the corner shackled down she had greasy unkempt hair and yellowing teeth.

"Well it looks like you got what you're looking for... One of us at least."

"This is Sally Kendrick..." Scully trailed off "Or someone just like her"

"Cut off the chains maybe then we'll talk."

"Experience tells me they're probably there for a good reason."

"No. I just paid too much attention to a guard. Bit into his eyeball."

She giggles hysterically and then gnashes her teeth "I meant it as a sign of affection are you going to give me an IQ test by any chance? I think I can top the 265 from last time, we're very bright we Eves."

"Where are the others?" Sam questions being careful to keep her eyes fixed on the woman "The other Adams and the Eves?"

"All that's left is me and Eve 7 and 8. 7 got away quite early on but 8 escaped about 10 years later."

"So one of them is Sally Kendrick?"

"Ah yes but she is me and I am she and we are together." she giggled at the song incorrect quote "I don't know exactly where and what they are I've been tied up like this for two years and for what reason? For no reason, I did nothing. They made me but did they suffer? No. No. I suffer. I suffer! They keep me alive for the Lichfield Project, they come in... they test me, they poke me... to see what went wrong but Sally she knows. She knows what went wrong. You two have 46 chromosomes. The Adams and the Eves ... we have 56 we have extra chromosomes. Number 4, 5, 12, 16, and 22. This replication of chromosomes also produces additional genes. Heightened strength. Heightened intelligence."

"Not to mention heightened psychosis."

"Always save the best for last." she sees their disbelief and points "I have proof. Look on the wall" The two of them look and Sam quickly brings Dana's attention to one of the pictures it shows the many Eve clones on a swing set and they all look identical to Teena and Cindy.

"My God it's them."Scully turned to Sam "So Dr. Kendrick was using the clinic to carry on the Lichfield Experiment! She was cloning herself and God knows how many times she might have done it."

"Suppose Eve 6 is right and there are two other Eves out there. That could account for the two identical murders occurring at exactly the same time Sally Kendrick does have an accomplice. Herself."

"Until I heard that, I was beginning to suspect the girls" Scully admitted

"No, I think the two remaining Eves are doing away with the parents in order to keep Teena and Cindy in the family."

"And then stealing them away for themselves."

"We need to get back and watch over Cindy" Sam turned to leave and the two of them raced away to the sound of Eve 6's maniacal laughter.

"You suppose these girls have any idea of what they are?" Scully asked as they headed away

"God I hope not."

(m-s)

Despite everything they attempted to do to keep Cindy safe she was stolen away and Sam was witness to another Eve this one looking a lot cleaner than the last one. Thanks to a good tip off they were able to discover the motel where the girls might be kept. They gathered a police team and stormed it with them, the scene they came upon was not what they had expected. The figure they were ready to arrest was slumped on the floor eyes wide open they entered Sam went straight to the little girls huddled under the window whilst Dana headed to the unconscious woman at the table

"Are you girls OK?" she asked with concern

"They said we all had to drink"

"They?" Sam turned to the other officers "Keep looking around there might be someone else here. Who's they?" the girls answered her finishing each others sentences.

"There was another woman"

"She looked just like her"

"They argued and we knew they were going to hurt us"

"They made us a drink"

"But we didn't"

"We only pretended to drink"

Sam nodded and sat back on her haunches "But you didn't drink a drop right?" they shook their heads and as Sam watched she wondered what it was about the two girls that was unnerving her, neither of them were crying and she tried to tell herself that was not too strange people reacted in different ways to extreme circumstances but she couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. "Ok girls lets get you in checked over" There was a paramedic and Sam let them come forward. She walked back over to Scully "Well?"

"Looks like the same as before, digitalis poisoning an easy way to poison the children because of it's sweetness."

"Sounds like the remaining eve's were more than just suicidal."

"Did the girls drink?"

"They say no, I think we need to take them back with us get them checked over and interviewed and definitely examined by a psychiatrist"

"You think the two of them might have the same tendencies?"

"It's more than a possibility. Just look at them, no tears, and Cindy hasn't asked about her mother once. Most kids that would be the first thing out of their mouth and I don't think she's even thought about her."

"It could be shock"

"I know but I think they're going to need some in depth care going forward."

"I'll tell them we're taking them with us" Scully spoke with the police whilst Sam herded the children to the car, they both seemed completely unharmed if a little quiet. It wasn't until Sam told them where they were going that one of them spoke and then it was only Cindy asking what was going to happen to Teena.

Sam could see that separating them might be distressing but she was unsure how Cindy's mother was going to take the information that her child was not biologically hers and that she had an identical 'sister' with no one to care for her. If the psychiatrists thought it was in the children's best interests keeping Teena close to Cindy might be possible, they could find a foster home nearby and maybe in time Mrs Reardon would come round if she took a liking to the child. Then again Sam looked in a the two girls in the back seat, they were still not talking but there was something about the way they sat clutching each others hand and seemingly communicating without speech. Maybe it would be better for everyone if they were kept apart, for all they knew close quarters might increase the tendencies. Finally Scully joined them and they were on the road, it was going to be a long journey and Sam had the radio on quietly playing classical music in the hopes of helping the girls drift off to sleep. It didn't work and soon it was dark, Scully looked closer to sleep than they were and when Teena… or Cindy she was getting mixed up mentioned that she needed the toilet, she was inclined to keep going until Dana admitted that she could do with a caffeine fix.

They weren't far from a rest stop and Sam pulled in, she was pretty thirsty herself and she'd long since run out of candy. When they went in Scully corrected her that she wanted a diet, whilst the drink was being made up they took the girls into the toilet Scully taking Teena and Cindy going in with Sam. Teena seemed to be taking her sweet time so Sam took her twin out to pay for their drinks. Cindy picked up two of the sodas and took them to a table, she seemed to sense Sam's eyes on her and turned to smile at her "This is the diet" she said lifting one and then went back to get the other two, Sam followed her but as she arrived back at the table there was a cry from inside the bathroom and Sam went rushing in, inside Teena was jumping around and Scully was trying to calm her down.

"A spider!" the girl squealed and the two women took some time to get hold of the young girl and take her outside. Once there the girl was calm again in fact she seemed a little too calm given her reaction just a moment ago. As Sam looks at the girls she sees a shared look a little like she and Mulder would have given each other when plotting as kids.

"You guys head out to the car" she grabbed her soda and sips making a face at the overly sweet mix, it was far more sugary than usual before heading to return the toilet key Scully took her soda and took a long drag on the straw.

"Taste's sweet, are you sure it's diet?"

"I saw her make them" one of the twins say as they exit and Sam frowns sipping hers again

"Can I get another full fat soda and another diet" she asks and when it comes it's definitely less sweet that the one she's just consumed. Frowning she turns and then in a moment it starts to fall into place, running to the window she sees that Scully is already in the car with the children. Pulling out her phone she calls her holding onto the diet soda only.

"Scully?"

"Don't react just listen. And don't drink any more" she sees her putting the soda down and relaxed "Get out of the car, keep your drink with you but close the door behind you" she hears Scully making excuses and the climb out of the car "Now lock it." Once she has done it Sam hangs up and walks out with her own freshly made drink, the two girls are watching them curiously but Scully had pretended to still be on the phone to someone. Sam takes a drink through her straw and watches as the girls seem to relax as she does so. Walking down she sees that Scully has now hung up and is looking at her curiously "They poisoned the drinks" Sam tells her "Keep yours we might need it as evidence"

"Are you sure?" Across the top of the car Sam and Scully exchanged drinks

"I had that one made just now. Taste the difference?" she could see that Scully could

"Mulder they might have just mixed up the diet and the regular"

"Scully think about it"

"We haven't had enough to get sick yet but I know when we test that it'll have poison in it" They look at the Eves in the car and it's as though they know they've been caught, suddenly their faces are hard almost angry. Getting into the car Sam stared the girls down.

"Long drive ahead girls perhaps while we're travelling you can tell us what happened"

"I don't know what you're talking about" one of the girls said and Sam gave her a smug smile, she didn't plan to take her eyes off these two until they were able to properly secure them.

"Look I get that the two of you might have been able to somehow sense the other, I am willing to believe that you were able to communicate across distance without the use of phones or other devices but one thing I do not understand and that's why you killed those men, you could have gotten together in any number of ways without murdering them. They loved you, they were your fathers in almost every sense of the word. So why did you do it?"

"Why not?" the answer was dispassionate with so little care that it sent a chill down Sam's spine, out of the corner of her eye she saw Scully' horrified expression, it was going to be a long drive.

(m–s)

Visiting Mrs Reardon had left a sour taste in her mouth and as Dana sat down to write up her notes on the computer she wondered how she herself would feel in a situation like that. She's always known her parents love was unconditional, their disapproval sometimes was understandable but even though her father hardly ever said it she knew she was completely loved by them. Picking up the phone she dialled her mother, maybe they could come by to visit soon.

* * *

Sorry again to the handful of people reading this, I had it ready to go up a few weeks ago and just forgot. Hopefully the next one will be up soon but I have... issues with it.


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